The BP oil travesty in the Gulf of Mexico seems to be making workers sick. Many are experience flu-like symptoms with fatigue, headaches and stomach upsets, coupled with confusion and cognitive troubles.
It may be a condition some are calling toxicant-induced loss of tolerance (TILT). A byproduct of this illness is an inability to handle exposure to chemical products, drugs and food, according to Dr. Claudia Miller of the University of Texas Health Science Center.
The condition might also be called multiple chemical sensitivity or idiopathic environmental intolerance.
"Regardless of whether the illness being reported in Gulf cleanup workers and residents ends up being confirmed as TILT, the fact remains that the chemicals people are being exposed to in the oil and dispersants are known to have health impacts including eye, skin and respiratory irritation, as well as headaches, dizziness, weakness, nausea and confusion. An analysis of EPA air testing data has found levels of these chemicals in coastal communities exceeding safety standards."
http://www.southernstudies.org/2010/06/tilt-the-illness-afflicting-workers-exposed-to-bps-oil-disaster.html