This document presents the long-term health effects of nerve agents and mustard.
A causal relationship exists between mustard exposure and the following conditions: chronic respiratory diseases; respiratory cancers; pigmentation abnormalities of the skin; skin cancer; chronic conjunctivitis; leukemia; bone marrow depression and immunosuppression; psychological disorders; and sexual dysfunction. The association between one-time mustard exposure and other chronic airway problems, such as chronic bronchitis, seems clearly established based on World War I data. Skin scarring, pigment changes, and even cancer have either followed the initial wound as a continuation of the process (scarring) or later appeared at the site of the lesion. Long-term consequences of exposure to organophosphate pesticides are neuropsychiatric effects and possible EEG changes. Both are documented as acute manifestations of nerve agent poisoning; mild neuropsychiatric changes occur after even low-dose nerve agent exposure. The duration of neuropsychiatric effects after nerve agent exposure is not well documented, but available information suggests that these effects persist for several weeks or possibly several months. Studies of EEG changes following organophosphate nerve agent exposure found differences between the exposed and control populations but suggested no relationship between their findings and alterations in brain function. Mustard causes chromosomal breakage and induces sister chromatid exchanges in man and has been classed as a mutagen. No data that implicate mustard as a reproductive toxin in man seem to be available, despite the many thousands of people exposed to mustard in the past 80 years. 126 references