Multiple chemical sensitivity: pursuit of a scientific consensus, need for a public health response. Commentary.

Abstract

On the international scene, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) is defined, by several experts, as a multisystem syndrome that develops following chronic exposures to low doses of common chemical contaminants. Its general characteristics are, however, the object of conflicting opinions and a source of debate and research aimed at the appropriate nosological and therapeutic frameworks. In the face of a potentially debilitating trend, both in the occupational and in the economical and social sphere, the scientific community has not so far found an agreement. This problem leads patients and their associations to periodically claim some requests. The syndrome is also taken into consideration at a political level, especially due to the close connection with the problems related to environmental pollution and to decision making in the field of control and prevention. For these reasons we believe that an appropriate widespread surveillance network for MCS should be set up in Italy, capable of intercepting possible cases, analyzing them at a multidisciplinary level, and following their evolution.