Originally Posted by
Sirrus Rider
As a sacker in my youth I bore witness to many many unbalanced store patrons. One old lady who had more money than sense (not to mention psychosis!) would insist that boxes of mothballs be plastic bagged so they wouldn't contaminate any food items. Keep in mind that the boxes of mothballs are already sealed and short of slamming them on the ground and stomping on them will not open.
The old lady wasn't batty. The scent of the mothballs infiltrates the food. Have you never had a box of breakfast cereal that had been stored near laundry detergent or those "odor-eating" plastic trash bags before being put out on the shelves? The cereal absorbs the scent. The packaging materials--even so-called "airtight" bags--are not impermeable.
Many "everyday" scents, perfumes, and colognes are made from volatile organic compounds that are toxic; some are serious respiratory irritants or chemical insults to the central nervous system and brain. Unfortunately, these toxins aren't regulated by the FDA because we don't eat them. But you don't have to eat a substance for it to get into your body in quantities large enough to cause damage. Airborne molecules can enter the body through the membranes of the lips, by being breathed in, and you can also absorb them by skin contact.
http://www.immuneweb.org/articles/perfume.html
http://www.multiplechemicalsensitivi...sitivity-1.php
In my opinion, the "unbalanced" people are those who remain blithe about this situation despite the ubiquity of these unregulated chemicals.
Regards
T