J97 as a Tool to Investigate the Effects of the Southeast Asia Smog (original) (raw)
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Military Medicine, 2012
The main objective of this study was to perform an initial characterization of Swedish soldiers' exposure to air pollutants in Afghanistan and screen for potential health hazards. Stationary monitoring was performed in two military camps, International Security Assistance Force Headquarters in Kabul and Camp Northern Lights in Mazar-e Sharif, at both outdoor and indoor locations. A broad screening including particulate matter (PM 10 and PM 2.5), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), oxygenated PAHs, n-alkanes, nitrogen dioxide (NO 2), sulfur dioxide, toxic metals, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) was performed over 2 weeks in the autumn of 2009. The results were compared to current air quality guidelines. Particulate matter was identified as the main potential health hazard since military exposure guidelines for marginal effects were exceeded outdoors. In addition, especially in Kabul, levels of particle-bound PAHs and oxy-PAHs were high, whereas levels of toxic metals were generally low. Among gaseous pollutants, elevated NO 2 levels in Kabul supported combustion as a major contributor to the poor air quality. VOC levels were generally low, but levels of some pollutants exceeded current guidelines. Because of elevated concentrations of particles with a high content of toxic organics, further monitoring and characterization of the occupational environment are warranted.
Military Medicine, 2002
Objective: Thousands of American troops were exposed to oil well fire smoke during the Persian Gulf War, but the actual impact of this on their health is unknown. To assess the potential association between physician-diagnosed asthma and objective estimates of oil fire smoke, we conducted a case-control study of Army Gulf War veterans. Methods: Subjects were participants in the Comprehensive Clinical Evaluation Program. Cases had physician-diagnosed asthma; controls were selected from the population of noncases. The two estimates of exposure were cumulative exposure and number of days at high levels. Results: A total of 873 cases and 2,464 controls were included. Significant associations were observed between asthma and both estimates of exposure, with an adjusted odds ratio of 1.4 (95% confidence interval == 1.1-1.8) for both the highest levels of cumulative exposure and days exposed to high levels. A dose response was observed for both exposure measures. Conclusions: We found significant associations between asthma and oil fire smoke exposure. Because much of the medical history was not available, an etiological association cannot be determined from this study, and additional research is needed.
Evaluation of the effect of air pollution on human health in Kuwait
1994
Even before the 1990 war the populations of some areas of Kuwait was subject to severe atmospheric pollution. However, little was known about the effect of this pollution on health and on the use of health care. Three areas in Kuwait were chosen for study which were demographically similar and lay at a different distances to the north (i.e. usually downwind) of the industrial area. Plant in this area emits hydrogen sulphide, sulphur dioxide, hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, ammonia and carbon monoxide among other pollutants. A special survey was carried out to gather information on demographic, health and lifestyle factors including age, sex, place of residence, smoking, physical symptoms, psychological effects, life satisfaction, environmental problems, experience of air pollution and use of health care. A random sample of 136 households (1140 persons) was chosen from the three areas and studied over the period from lst February 1988 to 31st January 1989. Data on levels of pollution ...
Strategies to Assess Validity of Self-Reported Exposures during the Persian Gulf War
Environmental Research, 1999
Research in the area of Persian Gulf War Unexplained Illnesses (PGWUI) is heavily dependent on self-reports of exposures.The Portland Environmental Hazards Research Center (PEHRC) conducted a population-based case-control study utilizing techniques to measure the magnitude of potential error in self-reports of exposure. While it is impossible to verify most exposures in the Persian Gulf War (PGW), results of our study reveal signi¢cant overreporting of exposures that can be veri¢ed based on the time period served in the Persian Gulf. Test-retest reliability estimates indicate inconsistency in frequency and rate of self-reported exposures during the PGW. Unexplained illness in PGW veterans has received much political and scienti¢c attention. Self-reported exposures in surveys returned preceeding and following media reports on particular exposure such as nerve gas or pesticides are presented. These results are useful in the interpretation of ¢ndings related to the PGWUI and in the design of future investigations.
Thorax, 2004
Background: Since the 1991 Gulf War concerns have been raised about the effects on veterans' health of exposures to Kuwaiti oil fire smoke and to dust storms. Methods: A cross sectional study compared 1456 Australian Gulf War veterans with a randomly sampled military comparison group (n = 1588). A postal questionnaire asked about respiratory conditions, exposures, medications, tobacco use, demographic characteristics, and military service details. During a medical assessment, spirometric tests and a physical examination were performed and a respiratory questionnaire was administered. Results: The response rate for the Gulf War veteran group was 80.5% and for the comparison group 56.8%. Australian Gulf War veterans had a higher than expected prevalence of respiratory symptoms and respiratory conditions suggesting asthma (OR 1.4; 95% CI 1.1 to 1.9) and bronchitis first diagnosed since the Gulf War (OR 1.9; 95% CI 1.2 to 3.1) but did not have poorer lung function or more ventilatory abnormalities than the comparison group. Veterans who reported exposure to oil fire smoke had slightly poorer forced vital capacity (difference between means -0.10 l; 95% CI -0.18 to -0.03) and those exposed to dust storms had a slightly better peak expiratory flow rate (difference between means 12.0 l/ min; 95% CI 0.6 to 23.4) than veterans who did not report exposure. Veterans who were in the Gulf at or after the start of the oil fires had more respiratory conditions suggesting asthma (OR 1.7; 95% CI 1.0 to 2.9) than those who completed their deployment before this time. Conclusions: Increased self-reporting of respiratory symptoms, asthma, and bronchitis by veterans was not reflected in poorer lung function. The findings do not suggest major long term sequelae of exposure to oil fire smoke or dust storms.
Health Hazards of Exposures During Deployment to War
Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 2012
This article serves as an introduction to the history of military environmental exposures, both man-made and naturally occurring. It also discusses exposure hazards of concern to US military members who have served in armed conflict in the past 40+ years. Methods: A review of the literature of the historic exposure concerns as well as those of the recent and current conflicts. Results: In recognition that there have been no significant compilations of articles regarding exposure hazards and concerns faced by US Service members returning from the recent and current conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, this dedicated issue of the Journal contains 14 such papers. This articles provides a brief overview of these reports. Conclusions: Environmental exposure hazards during deployment to conflict are not new. Concerns about these exposures are not new. Many conflicts have similar, if not identical exposures of concern, but also often have some that are unique to the particular conflict. In 2001 the Department of Veterans Affairs established a new program to address some of these concerns of Veterans. T his article briefly discusses the articles included in this special collection, reviews the history of military environmental exposures, both man-made and naturally occurring, and then reviews the exposure hazards of concern to US military members who have served in armed conflict over the past more than 40 years. Then, a special program within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that addresses these concerns of veterans is described. This issue of JOEM contains this Introduction, 14 original articles, and a letter in response to one of the articles. Several of these articles come from the staff of the New Jersey War Related Illness and Injury Study Center (WRIISC), several are from the US Army Public Health Command, four are from the Naval Health Research Center, and a few are from elsewhere. Each of these articles focuses on the two most recent US wars, in Afghanistan and Iraq. The war in Afghanistan, Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), began in October 2001 and continues as this issue goes to press. The war in Iraq, Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), began in March 2003 and concluded in August 2010; the remaining actions in Iraq are now referred to as Operation New Dawn (OND). The editor has attempted to present an array of studies looking at correlates of veterans' symptoms, 1-3 at veterans' exposures of concern, 4 at specific health outcomes and whether they are related to proximity to known open-air burn pits, 5-8 and at possible health effects of exposure to two specific hazards-the largest known sulfur mine fire in history 9 and depleted uranium. 10 One of the most worrisome health problems being seen in the veterans from these two conflicts is pulmonary deficits, as yet ill defined. Two original articles looking at respiratory health in this population from different perspectives have been included. 11,12
The International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
Background: Despite its excellent psychometric properties, St George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) has not been previously used in measuring respiratory quality of life (RQoL) among traffic police and firefighters who are at risk of poor respiratory health by virtue of their occupations. Objective: To assess and compare the RQoL of the occupationally exposed (firefighters and traffic police) and the occupationally unexposed populations in Penang, Malaysia. Methods: We recruited male traffic police and firefighters from 5 districts of Penang by convenient sampling during June to September 2018. Participants completed the SGRQ. Scores (symptoms, activity, impacts, total) were derived using a scoring calculator. Higher scores indicate poorer RQoL. Univariate and multivariate linear regression models were fitted to explore the relationship of the independent predictive factors with participants' RQoL. Results: We recruited 706 participants—211 firefighters, 198 traffic poli...