Environmental Disability: Invisible Barriers Even to Prayer

Invisible barriers—even when you want to pray

Those living with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) or Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity (EHS) inhabit a world full of invisible obstacles. Unlike architectural barriers, which can be seen and touched, chemical and electromagnetic barriers often go unnoticed—but they can be just as limiting.

Perfumes, disinfectants, Wi-Fi signals, paints, detergents: what most people consider neutral or pleasantly scented can become a source of physical distress—or even danger—for someone with environmental sensitivities. At Casa Vallebona, we understand this deeply. That’s why we’ve studied, designed, and built an environment that is truly livable for those with this form of environmental disability.

According to the Italian Consensus on MCS (2021), this condition is “a chronic, recurrent, multisystem environmental syndrome that worsens even with exposures below the threshold considered safe for the general population” (Consensus MCS 2021). The problem is not “in the mind” of the person affected—it is the body that reacts abnormally to common environmental stimuli.

And yet, there are no laws requiring the removal of chemical or electromagnetic barriers in public places, schools, hospitals, or on public transport. This legal vacuum results in daily exclusion and discrimination. 

A safe house for the environmentally sensitive

We chose to create a place that responds to this exclusion. Casa Vallebona, just outside Rome, was born to offer a safe and compatible refuge for those who cannot stay in the city or in conventional accommodations. During the design process, we eliminated everything that might act as a trigger:

• No Wi-Fi or mobile phones

• No industrial paints

• No perfumes or harsh cleaning products

• No synthetic or chemically treated materials

We used only natural materials, installed shielded electrical systems, and furnished the house with masonry or metal furniture. We are not a medical center or an agritourism: we are a home carefully created for those excluded from everywhere else.

Environmental illness should not exclude people from the Jubilee

Even prayer can become a problem: churches often contain burning candles, people wearing perfume, and clothing washed with scented softeners. Many prefer to follow Mass from home. But the Jubilee is a unique occasion that many long to experience—and some will manage it, perhaps with the help of a mask.

It is much harder for those with EHS, who cannot protect themselves from the many mobile phones in use or the radiation from antennas. Spending a full day in central Rome may be impossible for some, and barely tolerable for others—especially if they can’t retreat at night to a safe space where they can recover.

That’s why we decided to offer Casa Vallebona as a safe base for those who wish to experience the Jubilee but cannot stay in the city.
For those who book and declare their intention to attend the Jubilee, we offer a 10% discount in June–July and October–November.

We don’t organize transportation or pilgrimages, but we offer a clean, quiet, protected environment where guests can return and recharge after an intense day.

We believe that people living with MCS or EHS have just as much right to participate in spiritual, social, and cultural life. The environment should not be what determines who gets to live a universal experience like the Jubilee—and who doesn’t.

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📚 Sources and References

• Damiani G. et al., Italian Expert Consensus on Clinical and Therapeutic Management of Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS), International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2021, 18(21):11294. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182111294

• Lacour M. et al., Suggestions for an extension of the US MCS case definition, Int. J. Hyg. Environ. Health, 2005

Designing a Healthy Home: Systems for MCS, EHS, and Environmental Allergies

 

Creating a healthy home means focusing not only on non-toxic building materials, but also – and especially – on indoor air quality, pure water, thermal comfort, and electromagnetic safety.
The systems behind the walls are the hidden heart of the house: invisible yet crucial for those with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS), Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity (EHS), or environmental allergies.
In this guide, we explore – practically and scientifically – how to design systems for a true "Good Health Home."

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1. Breathing Clean Air: Ventilation and Indoor Air Purification

Indoor air is often 2 to 5 times more polluted than outdoor air, according to the World Health Organization.
This is critical for people who spend most of their time at home or suffer from respiratory diseases and chemical sensitivity.

Main sources of indoor pollution:

• Industrial furniture (formaldehyde and VOCs);

• Paints, silicones, sealants, glues;

• Treated woods and particle boards;

• Pesticides and insecticides;

• Air fresheners and cleaning agents;

• Humidity and mold from poor ventilation and lighting.

Solutions to improve indoor air:

• Passive natural ventilation: exploit temperature differences to create airflow.

• Air exchangers: small devices that ensure continuous filtered air exchange without losing heat.

• Portable air purifiers: models with metallic pre-filters, HEPA filters, and activated carbon; avoid perfumed models.

• Positive pressure safe room: a sealed room where filtered air is pumped in to block VOCs and odors.

• Seal all openings (doors, windows, air vents) and purify incoming air using ventilation systems designed for MCS and EHS, free from chemical filters, as recommended by Dr. William J. Rea.

Important advice from experts:

• Avoid ozonators, ionizers, air fresheners, and chemical-based purifiers, as stressed by Dr. Grace Ziem in her Environmental Control Plan for Chemically Sensitive Patients.

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2. Thermal Comfort: Low-Impact Heating and Cooling Systems

Heating and cooling impact indoor air, electromagnetic fields, and personal comfort.

Best heating options for a healthy home:

• Radiant floor heating (spiral layout): even, comfortable heat without forced air (used at Casa Vallebona).

• Pre-painted steel or stone radiators: VOC-free and MCS-friendly.

• Infrared or refractory stone electric heaters: perfect for small spaces or emergencies (halogen heaters at Casa Vallebona).

• Heat pumps: only for mild climates or when integrated with geothermal systems.

Special considerations:

• Condensation LPG boilers are acceptable (as used at Casa Vallebona).

• Avoid open fireplaces and wood stoves (unless sealed and used only for emergencies).

• Fan coil units and air conditioning splits must be equipped with mechanical filters and managed carefully to minimize EMF exposure.

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3. Water Purity: Safe Plumbing and Filtration Systems

Water is vital for health and detoxification, as highlighted by Dr. William Rea. Ideally, water should come from natural, untreated sources to maintain its life-giving ions.

Safe plumbing recommendations:

• CE-certified stainless steel faucets without welding or glues.

• Multilayer or screwed steel piping, avoiding heavy metals.

• Mechanical sediment filters made of nylon or food-grade polyester.

• Shower filters with activated carbon to remove chlorine and VOCs.

Avoid at all costs:

• Copper and lead pipes,

• Cheap uncertified faucets,

• Fluoride filters,

• Reverse osmosis without mineral reintegration.

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4. Electromagnetic Safety: Minimizing EMF Exposure at Home

Electromagnetic field (EMF) protection is critical, especially for EHS individuals.

Safe electrical system design:

• Automatic circuit breakers in bedrooms;

• Total elimination of Wi-Fi and cordless phones;

• Passive EMF shielding (special paints, metal meshes) for sensitive cases;

• Shielded electrical wiring.

At Casa Vallebona, a star-shaped wiring system was installed (each outlet wired individually to the panel), with shielded cables and multiple wired Ethernet points to eliminate the need for Wi-Fi.

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5. Home Hygiene, Disinfection, and Safety

Essential practices for a healthy home:

• Cleaning with only 3% hydrogen peroxide or 95% food-grade ethanol; avoid chlorine, ammonia, bleach.

• Use only neutral-cure, odorless silicone ("aquarium safe") for sealing.

• Saunas should be made of untreated wood, free from glues and fragrances.

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Want to Build a Home Like Casa Vallebona?

This article is based on "La Casa della Buona Salute" by Francesca Romana Orlando, an expert who designs homes and camper vans for MCS and EHS following Dr. William J. Rea’s Clinical Ecology and German Environmental Medicine principles.
Every element – from building materials to ventilation systems, from kitchen design to filtration choices – is aimed at creating a safe environment where health can be restored.

To learn more:

• Request a personalized consultation with Francesca Romana Orlando for building or remodeling a healthy home;

• Read "La Casa della Buona Salute", published by Libreria Editrice Fiorentina;

• Join the MCS and EHS Construction Courses on Patreon to learn how to choose the best materials, systems, and building techniques for your health and your family’s well-being.

ZERO INDOOR POLLUTION: make the air quality your mission!

Indoor Air Pollution: The Invisible Threat

While many people associate pollution with city smog and traffic, the World Health Organization states that we spend up to 90% of our time indoors—at home, in offices, schools, or public transport. This makes Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) a critical factor in our overall health.

Few realize that indoor air can be up to 5 to 10 times more polluted than outdoor air, due to the presence of VOCs, formaldehyde, particulate matter, mold, and synthetic fragrances.

For those with MCS, asthma, allergies, or chronic respiratory issues, these pollutants can trigger serious symptoms. But even healthy individuals may suffer from long-term, cumulative effects.

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Common Indoor Pollutants

Let’s take a closer look at the hidden pollutants found in most modern homes:

• VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds)
  Found in paints, glues, particleboard furniture, cleaning products, candles, and air fresheners. VOCs like benzene, toluene, and formaldehyde are known carcinogens.

• Formaldehyde
  Emitted from particleboard and MDF furniture. It’s a potent irritant and has been classified by the IARC as a human carcinogen. New furniture can release it for years.

• Fine Particulate Matter (PM10, PM2.5)
  From combustion (wood stoves, cooking), synthetic materials, or cigarette smoke. It penetrates deep into the lungs and may cause systemic inflammation.

• Synthetic Fragrances
  Common in laundry products, cosmetics, air fresheners, and even fabrics. Research (Steinemann, 2017–2020) links them to neurological, respiratory, and skin disorders, even at low exposure levels.

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How We Monitor and Improve Indoor Air

The good news? You can take action to improve your indoor air quality. Here’s how:

• Indoor Air Monitoring
  Affordable home sensors can measure VOCs, formaldehyde, CO₂, humidity, and particulate levels—giving you real-time insights.

• Natural and Mechanical Ventilation
  Opening windows is a simple yet powerful solution. In sensitive environments, HEPA and carbon-filtered mechanical ventilation systems (VMC) offer strong protection.

• Eliminating Pollutant Sources
  The most effective strategy: avoid materials and products that emit harmful substances.

• Certified Air Purifiers
  Helpful in critical areas, but they don’t replace source elimination.

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Air Quality at Casa Vallebona: Chemical-Free, Fragrance-Free, Naturally Pure

At Casa Vallebona, air quality is at the heart of our design philosophy.

Located in a natural, non-polluted setting within Monti Lucretili Park, the house benefits from exceptionally clean outdoor air. But the true strength is in the choices we’ve made indoors:

🔹 No toxic industrial materials – No MDF, laminates, particleboard, or synthetic glues.
🔹 VOC-free natural paints – Lime-based with mineral pigments, no essential oils.
🔹 Solid wood furniture – Carefully selected low-terpene woods like maple, chestnut, poplar, and beech.
🔹 Built-in or metal/ceramic furniture – Chemically inert, zero emissions.
🔹 Unscented, untreated textiles – Washed with enzyme-free natural detergents.

We also maintain a strict fragrance-free policy, with special attention given to the bedroom—considered a true detox "sanctuary," as taught by Dr. William Rea, pioneer of environmental medicine. This is where the body can finally rest and repair, free from chemical and electromagnetic interference.

 At Casa Vallebona, we offer a welcoming, safe, and comfortable environment for people living with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS), allergies, and Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity (EHS). Our space is designed to meet the unique needs of individuals with environmental sensitivities.

Nestled in a charming woodland within the heart of Monti Lucretili Natural Park, the house is surrounded by pristine nature. There are no nearby farms, factories, or commercial businesses—just clean air and natural silence.

We’ve gone above and beyond to make the indoor environment as pure and health-supportive as the outdoors. Here’s how we did it.

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Want to Make Your Home MCS- and EHS-Friendly?

Join our online course on Patreon, where we share everything you need to know to renovate, manage, and maintain a healthy home for MCS and EHS.

📘 Prefer to read? Get your copy of “The Healthy Home” (Italian title: La casa della buona salute) soon in bookstores or online!

Forest Bathing: Science Confirms the Forest Is Medicine

In a world that is increasingly hyper-connected and polluted, returning to nature is no longer just a need of the soul — it’s a real necessity for our health. In recent years, numerous scientific studies have confirmed what many of us instinctively feel: immersing ourselves in nature is good for us.

One of the most studied practices in this regard is Forest Bathing, or Shinrin-yoku, a Japanese term that literally means “forest bath.”
But make no mistake: this is not hiking or sports. It’s a slow and deep experience of connection with the natural environment.

Forest Bathing

A 2023 study published in Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine showed that spending just a couple of hours in a forest can:

• Significantly reduce levels of cortisol, the stress hormone
• Improve immune system function
• Lower blood pressure and heart rate
• Enhance focus and overall sense of well-being

This isn’t magic: terpenes, volatile substances released by trees, are powerful allies for our health. They have been shown to positively influence both the nervous and immune systems.

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Casa Vallebona: Nature as Therapy, for Real

In the heart of the Monti Lucretili Natural Park, a unique home was designed to offer a deeply regenerative, safe, and accessible experience — especially for people living with MCS (Multiple Chemical Sensitivity), EHS (Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity), or environmental allergies.

Welcome to Casa Vallebona.

Here, forest bathing isn’t something you book — it’s the natural backdrop of everyday life.

The house is surrounded by a living, healthy forest, far from electromagnetic sources, cultivated fields, and industrial plants.

The stone building has been renovated following the principles of bioarchitecture and Clinical Ecology.
The materials are free from irritating chemicals, and the air — even indoors — is incredibly pure, fresh, and naturally filtered by the surrounding vegetation.

Even the soundscape is therapeutic: no traffic, just birdsong, rustling leaves, and precious silence.

Not Just a Vacation. It’s Prevention.

For those who live in polluted urban environments or suffer from environmental sensitivities, even just a few days in a place like Casa Vallebona can represent a physiological and mental reset.

You don’t need devices, invasive treatments, or medication — just real nature.

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Want to create a home like Casa Vallebona?

The experience of building and restoring Casa Vallebona following the principles of Environmental Medicine is now a book:
📘 “La Casa della Buona Salute” (The House of Good Health), published by LEF.

The book covers every aspect of healthy home management: from materials to electrical systems, from heating to the design of a chemical-free kitchen. Every detail is meant to heal through the environment.

💌 If you’d like to renovate or build a healthy space and create safe homes for MCS and EHS, email: vallebonahouse @ gmail.com

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📚 Learn more with specialized courses

To explore these topics in depth, you can follow my online courses on healthy building for MCS and EHS on Patreon:
👉 https://www.patreon.com/c/francescaromana/shop

You'll learn — step by step — how to choose the right materials, systems, and treatments, and how to truly protect your health and that of your family.

Furnishings at Vallebona Country House

Vallebona Country House was built following the indications of Clinical Ecology and of the Environmental Medicine. In particular, two books by Dr. William J. Rea, a cardiac surgeon who himself had Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, were used as reference. 

Dr. Rea created the first Environmental Controlled Units (ECU) in his clinic at Dallas to welcome patients with MCS.

His book "Optimum environments for optimum health and creativity" explains in detail which materials have to used for the structure of the house, for the finishes and for the furniture in order to reduce the toxic load as much as possible and in order to avoid allergic and sensitivity reactions to chemicals.

The materials used in the Environmental Controlled Units are:

• lime masonry or white cement,
• porcelain stoneware tiles,
• solid wood with a low terpene content (such as poplar, maple, chestnut, walnut, cherry and beech),
• glass,
• metals,
• rigid plastic.

Dr. William J. Rea's second book "Success in the Bedroom" explains how important it is to give top priority to creating at least one room that is completely "clean" and free of materials that can emit even the smallest traces of volatile organic compounds or traces of other allergens.

It is usually suggested that you prioritize cleaning up the bedroom because it is the place where you spend the longest time of the day by far.

The following are the best materials according to Clinical Ecology.

Wood

Solid hard wood is by far the best material because the Human Beings evolved over millions of years in an environment full of trees and in houses built with wood.

Only a few decades ago the phenomenon of hypersensitivity and allergies to some woods raised because of the intensive use of petroleum and petrochemical compounds.

Petroleum is, in fact, the product of the maceration of ancient forests and it is full of substances, such as toluene and benzene, the were present in nature only in minimal quantities. In Petroleum these terpenes are concentrated and they cause sensitizations to humans.

For this reason the most suitable woods for people with allergies and chemical sensitivity are the "harder" types of wood. At Casa Vallebona we have used only small quantities of solid wood and for the painting we have used a white enamel with zero VOC content.

Glass

Glass is an excellent material because it is smooth, compact and easy to clean. Being porous, however, it must be used only in contexts where it can not be contaminated by perfumes, detergents, smoke, etc.

At Casa Vallebona we have chosen a glass table and console with metal legs which, among other things, give light and pleasantness to the rooms.

 

Metals

Metals, especially steel and pre-painted aluminum, are ideal for healthy homes.

The only exception are custom-made steel furniture because the manufacturing process involves the use of petrochemical greases for the final polishing of the surfaces with a consequent deep cleansing.

If you want to make custom-made steel furniture, it is advisable to agree in advance with the craftsman on the use of organic greases for polishing, which must not be of petrochemical derivation, and also on the use of fragrance-free detergents for final cleaning.

 

At Casa Vallebona we have used steel shelves and ready-to-use pre-painted aluminum furniture which are very effective for storing dishes, pans, etc.

 

Masonry furniture

In order to make durable furniture at Vallebona Country House we chose to make as many masonry furniture as possible: kitchenette, closets, the bathroom cabinet, the console for the television.

Rigid plastic

Rigid plastic is also an excellent material for the Environmental Controlled Unit because it does not release odors and particulates, but it is essential to choose types of hard plastic that are phthalate-free.

Phthalates, in fact, serve to soften plastic and they are responsible not only for hypersensitivity reactions, but also for carcinogenic risks.

Rigid odorless plastics are suitable and allow you to store clothes, food, books, with the advantage of protecting them from the risk of humidity. 

At Vallebona Country House we have chosen different types of chairs with a metal structure and plastic seat, which is warmer and more comfortable than metal.

@ Casa Vallebona

To find out more, you can read Francesca Romana Orlando's book "The House of Good Health" (Libreria Editrice Fiorentina, 2022) available in online bookstores and to order in any physical bookstore.