By Brian Carnell

Wednesday, July 10, 2002

Steve Milloy wrote an story about the latest version of sick building syndrome, the infamous irradiated mail syndrome.

This made the news when a Congressional agency issue a report claiming that, "handling irradiated mail for substantial periods of time may be the cause, or a contributing cause, of adverse health symptoms reported by a significant number of Legislative Branch employees."

But, as Milloy lays it out, this claim is pure bunk based on a ridiculous methodology,

The Office of Compliance sent information requests to 14,000 House and Senate employees. Less than 2 percent (215) responded. Of these 215 employees, only 148 responded to an immediate follow-up telephone interview. A few more responded to a subsequent follow-up interview.

Among the 215 respondents: 51 percent claimed experiencing headaches when handling the mail; 32 percent said their skin itched; 23 percent claimed burning and red eyes; 21 percent said they experienced nausea; 15 percent said they developed a visible rash; and 11 percent said they developed bloody noses.

Great a survey where less than 2 percent of people report non-medically verified symptoms that are the typical amalgam of symptoms associated with the syndrome of the week.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health noted in a follow-up that included taking air samples, the symptoms were likely the result of "heightened awareness and resultant employee stress from recent terrorist attacks."

Source:

Irradiated mail syndrome?. Steven Milloy, Fox News, July 5, 2002.

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