Gulf War and Health: Updated Literature Review of Sarin

Details

• Personal Author:
  Colwill JM ; Daniell WE ; Goldman RH ; Mayeux R ; Potolicchio SJ ; Rodricks JV
• Description:
  Following the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in August of 1990, approximately 700,000 US troops were deployed to the Persian Gulf in 1990 and 1991. Although the duration of combat was short and casualties few, upon their return many of the Gulf War veterans began experiencing unexplained symptoms, such as muscle and joint pain, fatigue, difficulties of cognition, and headaches. Studies have shown that the prevalence of these symptoms clearly was higher among veterans who had been deployed to the Persian Gulf than among either those not deployed or those sent to other wars. This has led many to consider the possibility that exposures unique to the Persian Gulf Theater could be the source of the illnesses. In 1998, in response to the health concerns of veterans and their families, the Department of Veterans Affairs contracted with the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to study the scientific evidence concerning possible adverse health effects of multiple agents to which veterans may have been exposed. To carry out this assignment, the IOM has convened three committees. The first committee report addressed the effects on health of four sets of compounds: depleted uranium, sarin and cyclosarin, pyridostigmine bromide, and vaccines against botulinum toxin and anthrax. The second committee reported on the health effects of exposure to insecticides and solvents. The third committee is currently reviewing the combustion products of oil-well fires, fuels, and compounds potentially used as propellants for Scud missiles. Our ad hoc committee was asked to update the first committee's report on outcomes of exposure to sarin and cyclosarin, in light of more recent studies of sarin exposure from terrorist attacks in Japan; possible sarin exposure of veterans at Khamisiyah, Iraq, during the Gulf War; and more recent toxicological studies on low-dose exposure to sarin. In as much as no veterans of the Gulf War are known to have had symptoms of acute sarin toxicity, our focus was on the long-term effects of low-dose exposure. In addition, since sarin and cyclosarin are strong acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, we also reviewed recent studies on organophosphorus insecticides, which also are cholinesterase inhibitors. I am deeply appreciative of the fine work and great expertise of committee members, William Daniell, MD, MPH; Rose Goldman, MD, MPH; Richard Mayeux, MD, MSc; Samuel Potolicchio, MD; and Joseph Rodricks, PhD. Further, the study could not have been successfully completed without the superb efforts of study director Michelle Catlin and research assistant Deepali Patel. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Chemistry Delivery Of Health Care Environmental Exposure Environmental Pollution Epidemiology Fatigue Hazardous Substances Insecticides Nervous System Occupational Health Risk Assessment Risk Factors Safety Solvents Toxicology

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• Keywords:
  Biological Agents Chemical Agents Chemical Composition Chemical Hazards Chemical Properties Chemical Reactions Chemicals Chemical Warfare Agents Cognitive Function Environmental Exposure Environmental Hazards Etiology Exposure Levels Hazards Health Effects Health Hazards Medical Care Military Personnel Pesticides Risk Factors

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• ISBN:
  9780309092944
• Publisher:
  The National Academies Press
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Book
• Place as Subject:
  District of Columbia ; Massachusetts ; Missouri ; New York ; OSHA Region 1 ; OSHA Region 10 ; OSHA Region 2 ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 7 ; Virginia ; Washington
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1-132
• Volume:
  2
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20060286
• Citation:
  Gorssblatt N, Ed. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, 2004 Jan; :1-132
• CAS Registry Number:
  Sarin (CAS RN 107-44-8)
• Editor(s):
  Gorssblatt N
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2003
• Performing Organization:
  Harvard School of Public Health
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20030701
• Source Full Name:
  Gulf War and health: updated literature review of sarin
• End Date:
  20050630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:6dcf82e5241120531fea8d278c7566ea30b26709bde2603afbc72169f142fb8b4f4842f5717f17c344be73f1400fa341ef3b0911d1ea035951b6932a61d0525f
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/224236/cdc_224236_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 11.14 MB ]