Someone with CFS noticed that I shared about 2-butoxyethanol a lot & that I learned about it from the Exxon Valdez oil spill cleanup.

      They asked, “Were you actually at the Valdez spill?”

"No, not I," however .... I developed an interest in field starting when an 18 year old family member worked as a 'bioremediation worker' on the Exxon Valdez oil spill became ill. He took a job there to earn money to go to college. I found other spill workers that were sick. I developed a feeling that the illnesses were caused by the chemicals used to clean the oil. The only chemical mentioned then was 2-butoxyethanol (ethylene glycol monobutyl ether)

My study started in earnest June, 2002 after he had been diagnosed with a low red blood cell anemia, but the doctor was stumped as to the cause: he had a colonoscopy to check for internal bleeding. They did a bone marrow test; a lymph node biopsy as his lymph nodes were swollen throughout his body. Nothing was seeming to be the cause.

As you look at the symptoms of the oil clean up workers; you discovered that they were similar to 'Gulf War Syndrome.' You asked yourself the question could there be an active chemical in the oil cleanup chemicals that was also used in the Gulf War? I explored how each oil spill was cleaned up in 1989 vs 1991. Actually, the symptoms and definitions for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome are also strikingly similar

I felt that should be studied by professional staff but I was largely ignored. I also began to develop questions about the safety of ordinary household cleaners, since Exxon said Inipol EAP 22 had the same chemical as in these. Intro

I am just an ordinary person in a remote area of Alaska whose relative got sick and I am asking the question why? I have done no scientific research of my own, but have looked at studies done by others. I pass on what I have found as a service to others. It is up to them whether they reach the same conclusions I did. I am not trying to sell anything. It is as simple as that.

I hope that others will not be harmed by this chemical, as many of the tests just to see what is wrong, (when doctors don't know) can be painful, expensive, and many times unnecessary (?)

Now how can you tell if you ARE harmed by this 2-butoxethanol? Well, there are a lot of odd add on symptoms, however, I theorize that the blood will all look alike. Do you have acquired autoimmune hemolytic anemia? That should start right away & last, regardless of the symptoms piled on top of it. That's my theory ... and it is provable. Track the retic rate and red blood counts over time. Are your red blood cells immature? Have you had trace blood in urine? These should be the 'clues' This is the fatigue that shows up differently than doctors expect. (Not in hemoglobin or hematocrit until a LONG time later) Too many immature red blood cells and other tests are off, like liver, for example.



If you haven't guessed it by now, I do web pages for a hobby.
There's a surprise under the photo

Duplicate Post in the SeattlePress. I post in other forums as either Dear Maggie, or "mother margaret'