We posted the below comment in the comments at the newspaper where this story was published. We encourage others to share their scientifically based comments as well.
Comment: Avery Gilbert is to the MCS community as Michael Savage was to the autism community. It would seem Gilbert has missed literally hundreds of studies out there showing various biological alterations that account for MCS symptoms. Another case of HITSD (head-in-the-sand disorder), unless Gilbert has industry ties to explain his denial. It would be interesting to know whether he has any industries ties which have not been disclosed that stand behind the promotion of this propaganda. Sure enough the first hit on him in a Google search shows he's the president of Synesthetics, Inc., a firm which "provides innovative sensory science for the development and marketing of consumer products... We help our clients measure and optimize the multisensory impact of fragrance on consumer perception... We put sensory science in the service of marketing... Synesthetics, Inc. brings proven sensory research expertise to the challenges of designing, evaluating, and marketing fragranced products." Enough said... Gilbert is not a medical doctor, has no credibility to determine what causes MCS, and is obviously protecting his financial interests in consumer products scientifically proven to be laden with toxic substances. Anne Steinemann, on the other hand, has published independent, peer-reviewed data that shows the very products Gilbert is protecting indeed emit carcinogens and numerous unlabeled chemical ingredients, many of which are on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) no safe limit list, meaning no exposure level no matter how small is considered safe.
Steinemann AC. Fragranced consumer products and undisclosed ingredients. Environ Impact Asses Rev (2008), doi:10.1016/j.eiar.2008.05.002. http://www.ce.washington.edu/people/faculty/bios/documents/Steinemann2008.pdf
'What the Nose Knows' by Avery Gilbert: An olfactory specialist looks at the smelly side of life
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/ent/stories/DN-bk_nose_0810gl.ART.State.Bulldog.4d59380.html
There he examines the syndrome known as Multiple Chemical Sensitivity or Idiopathic Environmental Intolerance.
The verdict: The symptoms are real but psychosomatic. "The psychogenic hypothesis doesn't sit well with some IEI patients ... [T]hey resent any suggestion that ... implies their suffering isn't real. The good news for them, if they will only hear it, is that the psychogenic hypothesis points to a treatment."
