NCJ Number
189893
Date Published
September 1998
Length
43 pages
Annotation
This document addresses the preparing and defending of military personnel against possible adverse effects of exposure to low-level chemical warfare agents.
Abstract
Approximately 100,000 United States troops may have been exposed to low levels of chemical warfare agents in Operation Desert Storm. The Department of Defense (DOD) does not have an integrated strategy to address low-level exposures to chemical warfare agents. Past research indicates that low-level exposures to some chemical warfare agents may result in adverse short-term performance and long-term health effects. DOD has no chemical defense research program to determine the effects of low-level chemical exposures. Research on animals and humans conducted by DOD and others identified some adverse psychological, physiological, behavioral, and performance effects of low-level exposure to some chemical warfare agents. Researchers do not agree on the risk posed by low-level exposures and the potential military implications of their presence on the battlefield, whether in isolation or in combination with other battlefield contaminants. Recommendations are to address: the desirability of a policy on the protection of troops from low-level chemical warfare agent exposures; the need for enhanced low-level chemical warfare agent detection, identification, and protection capabilities; and the research needed to fully understand the risks posed by exposures to low levels of chemical warfare agents, in isolation and in combination with other contaminants. 2 tables, 5 figures, 5 appendices, and glossary