friend has a question

[sassyotto]

daughter 33 years old lives in a 25 year old apartment building. She lives on the second floor with another apartment below her.
She has lived there the past 5 years. The last 1 1/2 to 2 years she gets sick every 2 to 3 days of each week. Symptoms are fatigue, headache and cant sleep. When she is out of the apartment for any length of time (vacation, etc) she does not have any symptoms
She has two cats that have lived with her since moving in
She has seen multiple doctors to include allergy testing, blood work, sleep study, etc. that could not determine the problem. The only test she has not taken is an auto immune test
Apartment has hot water, baseboard heat (rules out contamination in ductwork)
She does use Carpet Fresh and plug ins.
In October they had a restoration company take humidity readings of walls, ceiling and carpet - all have read normal
She indicates that since moving in, she has not made any changes that may have caused this
They have narrowed it down to possibly something to do with the carpet.

Thoughts?

 

[Jack Zipper Zerkie]

Pull up carpet in a few areas to see what is there

 

[hogjowl]

The downstairs people must be witches.

 

[Mikey P]

If she has lived there for 5 years and the symptoms only started 1.5 to 2 years ago, it is highly improbable that "dormant" residue from a past tenant suddenly became toxic three years into her tenancy. Chemical residues typically off-gas and weaken over time; they don't usually get stronger or suddenly activate without a major disturbance (like a flood).

However, Carpet Pad Breakdown is a possibility.At 25 years old (if the carpet is original or even 10+ years old), the latex adhesive that holds the carpet together and the foam padding underneath begin to disintegrate. As they pulverize, they release microscopic particles of latex and old synthetic rubber. If she bought a new, more powerful vacuum 1.5–2 years ago, she might now be sucking that pulverized dust up and blowing it into the air.

The "Smoking Gun": The 1.5 – 2 Year Timeline​

The most critical clue is that she was fine for 3 years, and then got sick. Since she didn't make changes, we have to look at what might have changed around her.

1. The Downstairs Neighbor (The "Stack Effect")This is now the #1 suspect.

• The Question: Did a new tenant move into the unit below her (or next door) about 1.5 to 2 years ago?
• The Mechanism: Hot air rises. In apartments, air from the lower unit migrates up through the floorboards, light fixtures, and plumbing gaps (under sinks).
• The Toxins: If the neighbor smokes, vapes, burns heavy candles/incense, cooks with pungent spices, or (worst case) uses illegal drugs (meth cooking creates these exact symptoms), that chemical load enters her apartment. She breathes their air.
• Why she feels better away: She is escaping the neighbor's "exhaust."

2. Hidden Slow-Leak Mold

• The Issue: Restoration companies check for active moisture. They often miss "dry rot" or mold that grew from a slow leak 2 years ago behind a dishwasher, inside a wall, or under the bathroom vanity, and has since dried out but is releasing spores.
• Symptoms: Mold toxicity often presents as "brain fog," fatigue, and headaches (mycotoxins), not just sneezing/wheezing.

3. Carbon Monoxide (CO)

• Safety First: Please ask her to verify the age/batteries of her CO detector. Low-level CO leaks from a boiler or an aging stove can cause chronic headaches/fatigue that clear up when you leave the house.

Recommended "Detective Work" for Her:​

1. The Neighbor Check: Did the tenant below change approx. 2 years ago? Can she smell anything (smoke, food, weird chemical sweet smells) in her bathroom or kitchen cabinets?
2. The "Gap" Check: Check the plumbing penetrations under the kitchen and bathroom sinks. Are there big gaps around the pipes where they go into the wall/floor? This is the "highway" for bad air. She can seal these with the silicone tip from our manual or even duct tape as a test.
3. The Carpet Test: Pull back a corner of the carpet (in a closet). Is the padding underneath turning to dust/sand? If it crumbles when touched, the carpet is chemically dead and putting particulate into the air.

Conclusion:It is likely not residue from 5 years ago. It is almost certainly an environmental factor that changed 2 years ago. The neighbor or a hidden mechanical issue (CO/Mold) are the strongest leads.