I don't know what effects she may have experienced from environmental toxins, but I do know that her story is very similar to those I have heard from friends relating to finding e.g. a small amount of mold in their apartments. At least in some cases I think such observations are just feeding into a viscious anxiety cycle. Person is anxious and suspects their environment: person finds perceived enviromental pollutant: person becomes even more anxious and so on.
Prior discussion on HN https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28477392
just a side note - while specific industrial testers may be overkill, the combined CO2/particulate/VOC/formaldehyde gadgets are $100 ballpark, and given the new construction on sites where Intel/HP dumped the etching fluids or whatever, buildings energy saving certifications (read low ventilation/AC), etc. i find it is very useful to have on desktop in the office (watching formaldehyde (or may be VOC - forgot after 2 years WFH) rising on a hot day on new furniture, though still under official safety limits. The CO2 was almost always under 600 - not bad :)
It surprising me not-at-all that they would not test their superfund office building for safety or otherwise.
