We now know what’s been wrong with me the past 10 years and worse in the past 5 years and just about unbearable in the past 2 years. I have Dr. Ritchie Shoemaker’s Biotoxin Illness. No question about it. Unfortunately, the first step in treating this miserable disease is to find a home (and workplace) that’s low in toxic molds. The workplace is easy because I can work from home, but so far finding a living space that’s below 2 on the ERMI (EPA Relative Moldiness Index) scale is next to impossible in Seattle and Albuquerque (it’s clearly not about climate). Older buildings are too toxic from disrepair, crawlspaces, basements and rugs. Newer buildings are built so tight that they don’t ventilate. I have measured brand new construction at greater than ERMI 7 on more than one occasion. This is some seriously bad construction created by people who could not care less about indoor air quality! Out of the dozen or so tests I’ve run, only one has passed so far and it now appears to have a water intrusion problem that was identified during inspection.
Is there a city in the world that builds for high indoor air quality? I need solidly engineered, low-humidity, high ventilation modern construction. I’m a great software engineer and fully ready to move if there is such a place… willing to learn Dutch or German!