The Chemical Sensitivity Podcast

The Chemical Sensitivity Podcast
  • 5.0 (32)
  • Alternative Health
  • Updated Biweekly

Thank you for listening to The Chemical Sensitivity Podcast! Amplifying research, lived experience, and critical conversations about Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS). Through thoughtful and engaging conversations, the podcast aims to deepen understanding of MCS and inform public responses to the illness. Hosted by journalist and communication studies researcher Aaron Goodman, Ph.D. Generously supported by The Marilyn Brachman Hoffman Foundation. Subscribe for episode takeaways, research insights, and updates on MCS: https://bit.ly/42N3Geh DISCLAIMER: THIS PROJECT DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICEThe information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images, and other material from this project are for informational purposes only. None of the material is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard or read from this project.

  1. Aug 10

    MCS and the Hidden Costs of Fragrance Pollution in Japan

    Fragrance pollution, known as kogai, has become a growing public-health concern in Japan, affecting millions of people with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) and others who experience adverse health effects from everyday fragranced products. In this episode, Aaron Goodman speaks with Keiko Fukaya, Professor Emeritus Ryoichi Terada, and Yuri Kitagawa about the rise of fragrance pollution in Japan, its impact on daily life, and the movement to reduce unnecessary chemical exposures. Topics include: Fragrance pollution and Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS)Living with MCS in JapanSchools, workplaces, and public accessibilityEnvironmental justice and social exclusionFragrance microcapsules and laundry productsConsumer advocacy and public policyWhat other countries can learn from JapanListen now and subscribe: https://www.chemicalsensitivitypodcast.org/1970633/episodes/19587898-mcs-and-the-hidden-costs-of-fragrance-pollution-in-japan Listen and subscribe on YouTube: https://youtu.be/EzLPXZr0EOc Support the show Thank you very much to the Marilyn Brachman Hoffman Foundation generously supporting the podcast! If you find the podcast helpful, please consider becoming a monthly or one-time supporter: https://www.chemicalsensitivitypodcast.org/1970633/supporters/new https://buymeacoffee.com/mcspodcast   Follow the podcast on YouTube!  Captions available in any language.  Please follow the podcast on social media: Facebook Instagram X BlueSky TikTok

    MCS and the Hidden Costs of Fragrance Pollution in Japan

  2. Jul 24

    MCS and the Limits of Chemical Safety: Laura Vandenberg, PhD

    How do regulators decide that a chemical exposure is safe—and what happens when those standards fail to protect people with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS)? In this episode, Professor Laura Vandenberg from the University of Massachusetts Amherst explains why testing chemicals one at a time, relying on the “average” person, and assuming low doses are harmless may overlook real-world exposures and vulnerable populations. We discuss: FragranceChemical mixturesEndocrine disruptorsIndustry influenceAnd what a more precautionary approach to chemical safety could look like.Listen now & subscribe: https://www.chemicalsensitivitypodcast.org/1970633/episodes/19539201-mcs-and-the-limits-of-chemical-safety-laura-vandenberg-phd Watch & subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6r3pSMPqpo Laura Vandenberg and colleagues' 2023 paper: A science-based agenda for health-protective chemical assessments and decisions: overview and consensus statement Support the show Thank you very much to the Marilyn Brachman Hoffman Foundation generously supporting the podcast! If you find the podcast helpful, please consider becoming a monthly or one-time supporter: https://www.chemicalsensitivitypodcast.org/1970633/supporters/new https://buymeacoffee.com/mcspodcast   Follow the podcast on YouTube!  Captions available in any language.  Please follow the podcast on social media: Facebook Instagram X BlueSky TikTok

    MCS and the Limits of Chemical Safety: Laura Vandenberg, PhD

  3. Jul 13

    The Recognition Gap - MCS & Medical Classification: Geoffrey Bowker, PhD

    Why do some health conditions gain recognition while others remain difficult to classify, diagnose, or accommodate? Aaron Goodman speaks with Geoffrey Bowker, Professor of Informatics at the University of California, Irvine, and author of Sorting Things Out: Classification and Its Consequences, about medical classification systems and what they can teach us about MCS. You'll hear: • Why MCS remains difficult for many healthcare systems to classify and recognize • How medical classifications influence diagnosis, accommodation, and support • Why some health conditions fit established categories while others remain contested • The role of patient knowledge and lived experience in healthcare • What lessons Long COVID may offer for the future recognition of MCS • What could help MCS gain broader recognition within medicine and society Listen now and subscribe: https://www.chemicalsensitivitypodcast.org/1970633/episodes/19445366-the-recognition-gap-mcs-medical-classification-geoffrey-bowker-phd Watch & subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yjGCEIMre0 Support the show Thank you very much to the Marilyn Brachman Hoffman Foundation generously supporting the podcast! If you find the podcast helpful, please consider becoming a monthly or one-time supporter: https://www.chemicalsensitivitypodcast.org/1970633/supporters/new https://buymeacoffee.com/mcspodcast   Follow the podcast on YouTube!  Captions available in any language.  Please follow the podcast on social media: Facebook Instagram X BlueSky TikTok

    The Recognition Gap - MCS & Medical Classification: Geoffrey Bowker, PhD

  4. Jun 29

    MCS & Medical Assistance in Dying: The Limits of Choice

    This episode discusses Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD), suicide, disability, chronic illness, and end-of-life decision-making. Please listen with care. If you need support, call or text 988 in the United States or 9-8-8 in Canada (24/7). Outside the United States and Canada, contact your local crisis line, healthcare provider, or emergency service. If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call your local emergency number. About the episode: What can Sophia's story teach us about disability, housing, healthcare, and Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD)? This episode features two conversations: one with disability ethicist Heidi Janz, PhD, and another with a Toronto woman living with severe MCS who was friends with Sophia, a woman whose 2022 MAiD death brought international attention to the challenges many people with disabilities and chronic illnesses face. Together, they explore disability rights, healthcare, housing, social support, and the broader questions Sophia's case continues to raise. Professor Janz participated in this interview with the assistance of a support person who repeats her words for listeners. Listen now and subscribe: Watch & subscribe on YouTube: Professor Heidi Janz: 2025 paper - "First they came for the Physical Crips: The Eugenic Logic Driving MAiD."  https://www.erudit.org/en/journals/bioethics/2025-v8-n4-bioethics010388/1121337ar.pdf Faculty profile: https://www.ualberta.ca/en/john-dossetor-health-ethics-centre/about/people/adjunctmembers/heidijanz.html #MCS #MultipleChemicalSensitivity #DisabilityRights #MAiD  Support the show Thank you very much to the Marilyn Brachman Hoffman Foundation generously supporting the podcast! If you find the podcast helpful, please consider becoming a monthly or one-time supporter: https://www.chemicalsensitivitypodcast.org/1970633/supporters/new https://buymeacoffee.com/mcspodcast   Follow the podcast on YouTube!  Captions available in any language.  Please follow the podcast on social media: Facebook Instagram X BlueSky TikTok

    MCS & Medical Assistance in Dying: The Limits of Choice

  5. Jun 15

    The Lessons of Lead - Risk, Regulation, & MCS: Bruce Lanphear, MD, PhD

    This episode marks the 100th episode of The Chemical Sensitivity Podcast! Thank you very much to the Marilyn Brachman Hoffman Foundation for its support that makes this work possible. Gratitude to  listeners and viewers around the world for being part of this journey.  If you enjoy the podcast, please subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts and on YouTube, and share it with others who may benefit from these conversations. http://listen.chemicalsensitivitypodcast.org/ Here's to 100 episodes and more to come! In this episode: What can the history of lead exposure teach us about risk, regulation, and MCS? Aaron Goodman speaks with Bruce Lanphear, MD, PhD, about lead as a model for understanding chemical harm. Topics include: What lead teaches us about body burden and cumulative exposureRisk, regulation, and the precautionary principleWhy listening to affected people matters—and lessons for MCSListen and subscribe:  http://listen.chemicalsensitivitypodcast.org/ Watch & subscribe on YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@podcastingMCS Link:  Dr. Bruce Lanphear https://www.sfu.ca/fhs/about/people/profiles/bruce-lanphear.html Support the show Thank you very much to the Marilyn Brachman Hoffman Foundation generously supporting the podcast! If you find the podcast helpful, please consider becoming a monthly or one-time supporter: https://www.chemicalsensitivitypodcast.org/1970633/supporters/new https://buymeacoffee.com/mcspodcast   Follow the podcast on YouTube!  Captions available in any language.  Please follow the podcast on social media: Facebook Instagram X BlueSky TikTok

    The Lessons of Lead - Risk, Regulation, & MCS: Bruce Lanphear, MD, PhD

  6. Jun 1

    Nail Salon Workers—Chemical Exposure, Body Mapping, & MCS: Reena Shadaan, PhD

    What can the daily chemical exposures faced by nail salon workers teach us about MCS, chronic illness, and the environments many people live and work in every day? Aaron Goodman speaks with Reena Shadaan, PhD, from the University of Toronto, about chemical exposure, worker health, body mapping, and chronic illness in nail salon environments. Topics include:  • The hidden chemical exposures faced by nail salon workers  • What nail salon environments may reveal about MCS and chronic illness  • Body mapping and citizen science as tools for advocacy and documenting lived experience  • How marginalized workers are pushing back against unsafe environments Listen & subscribe: https://www.chemicalsensitivitypodcast.org/1970633/episodes/19262474-nail-salon-workers-chemical-exposure-body-mapping-mcs-reena-shadaan-phd Watch & subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhaCO-FAYgU   Support the show Thank you very much to the Marilyn Brachman Hoffman Foundation generously supporting the podcast! If you find the podcast helpful, please consider becoming a monthly or one-time supporter: https://www.chemicalsensitivitypodcast.org/1970633/supporters/new https://buymeacoffee.com/mcspodcast   Follow the podcast on YouTube!  Captions available in any language.  Please follow the podcast on social media: Facebook Instagram X BlueSky TikTok

    Nail Salon Workers—Chemical Exposure, Body Mapping, & MCS: Reena Shadaan, PhD

  7. May 27

    Check out the new trailer!

    The Chemical Sensitivity Podcast has a new trailer! Please share with anyone interested in learning more about Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS). Listen to the podcast — new episodes twice a month! http://listen.chemicalsensitivitypodcast.org/ Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/8HJadAGuLaE Support the show Thank you very much to the Marilyn Brachman Hoffman Foundation generously supporting the podcast! If you find the podcast helpful, please consider becoming a monthly or one-time supporter: https://www.chemicalsensitivitypodcast.org/1970633/supporters/new https://buymeacoffee.com/mcspodcast   Follow the podcast on YouTube!  Captions available in any language.  Please follow the podcast on social media: Facebook Instagram X BlueSky TikTok

    Check out the new trailer!

  8. May 18

    Can Public Spaces be Safe for MCS? Aimi Hamraie, PhD

    Can public spaces ever truly be safe for people living with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS)? In this episode of The Chemical Sensitivity Podcast, Aaron Goodman speaks with Aimi Hamraie, Associate Professor at York University whose work focuses on disability justice, accessibility, and inclusive design. They explore: • Why MCS is often overlooked in accessibility conversations  • Remote access as a vital form of inclusion  • How chemicals and fragrances can make public spaces inaccessible  • Why some people with MCS leave cities  • What truly MCS-inclusive public spaces could look like 🎧 Listen now:  https://www.chemicalsensitivitypodcast.org/1970633/episodes/19185636-can-public-spaces-be-safe-for-mcs-aimi-hamraie-phd ▶️ Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/thzV3GgBsHw Subscribe for episode takeaways, research insights, and updates on Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS): https://bit.ly/42N3Geh Links: Aimi HamraieRemote Access Archive – Critical Design LabFragrance-free resources compiled by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-SamarasinhaSick Building Syndrome and the Problem of Uncertainty by Michelle Murphy  Support the show Thank you very much to the Marilyn Brachman Hoffman Foundation generously supporting the podcast! If you find the podcast helpful, please consider becoming a monthly or one-time supporter: https://www.chemicalsensitivitypodcast.org/1970633/supporters/new https://buymeacoffee.com/mcspodcast   Follow the podcast on YouTube!  Captions available in any language.  Please follow the podcast on social media: Facebook Instagram X BlueSky TikTok

    Can Public Spaces be Safe for MCS? Aimi Hamraie, PhD
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5
out of 5
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About

Thank you for listening to The Chemical Sensitivity Podcast! Amplifying research, lived experience, and critical conversations about Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS). Through thoughtful and engaging conversations, the podcast aims to deepen understanding of MCS and inform public responses to the illness. Hosted by journalist and communication studies researcher Aaron Goodman, Ph.D. Generously supported by The Marilyn Brachman Hoffman Foundation. Subscribe for episode takeaways, research insights, and updates on MCS: https://bit.ly/42N3Geh DISCLAIMER: THIS PROJECT DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICEThe information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images, and other material from this project are for informational purposes only. None of the material is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard or read from this project.

Information

  • Creator
    The Chemical Sensitivity Podcast
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    104
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Chemical Sensitivity Podcast
  • Show Website
    The Chemical Sensitivity Podcast

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