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PRIORITY                      U N C L ~ S S I F I E `3     ~   TOt) =    k¼


P~~UZYUW RHIP~~~i 163 C)62I657~UUUU~~RHIHD~~ RHI IM~~ RHI IMOD RHIUF~~
RUDCH~~ RUDOH~4 RUHGO~~.
  NR UUUUU
P 031745    M~R 91
FM USCINCCENT//CCSG/CC~3//
TO RUDCH~~/COMUS~RCENT M~IN//SG/G3//
RHIUF~~/COMUSCENT~F//SG/G3/ /
RHI IM~~/COMUSM~RCENT//SG/G3//
RHIIMDD/CG I MEF RE~R//SG/G3//
RUHGO~~/COMUSN~VCENT//SG/N3//
RUDOH~~/COMUSN~VLOGSUPFOR/ /N9/N3/ /
RHIHD~~/SOCCENT DEPLOYED//SG/G3//
RHIUF~~/USCENT~F FWD HOS ELEMENT//SG/G3//
BT
UNCL~S
MINIMIZE CONSIDERED
OPER/DESERT STORM//
MSGID/5y5. RRM/USCENTCOM CCSG//
~MPN/SUBJECT..  THRE~T TO CO~LITION FORCES ~ND CIVIL InNS FROM
BURNING OIL WELLS IN ~UWnIT//
RMk:S/1.   HYDROGEN SULFIDE (H2S) IS n ons FORMED ns n NnTURnL P~RT
OF THE PROCESS OF FORMING OIL UNDER HIGH PRESSURE.    IT IS HIGHLY
FLnMMnBLE, ~ND TOXIC TO HUM~NS ~T LOW CONCENTRnTIONs.    IT CnUSES
UPPER RESPIRnToRy IRRITnTIoN TH~T MnY PROGRESS TO PULMONnRY EDEMn.
THE MnJORITy OF THIS G~S IS BURNED OFF DURING DURING THE COURSE OF
~N OIL WELL FIRE ~ND WILL NOT BE n HEnLTH HnZnRD.
2.   THE THREnT TO HUM~N HE~LTH FROM BURNING OIL WELLS IN
kUWnIT IS PRIMnRILy FROM INH~LED PnRTICULnTE MnTTER THnT CnN CnUSE
LUNG IRRITnTION,.  SPECIFICnLLy COUGHING, WHEEZING, nND POSSIBLY
INDUCING ILLNESS IN PRE-EXISTING nSTHMnTICs.   THERE IS NO LONG TERM


P~GE C)2 RHIPnnn\\\\ UNCL~S
THRE~T EXPECTED FROM BURNING OIL WELLS TO COnLITION FORCES OR THE
CIVILInN POPULnTIoN IN ~:UWnIT.
3.   INITInL ~RCENT nSSESSMENT TE~MS nRE nLREnDY IN ~:UWnIT  THE
MEDCOM, nRCENT,   IS EQUIPPED TO Tn~;E ~IR SnMFLEs TH~T WILL BE
nNnLYZED FOR SPECIFIC TOXINS ~ND PROVIDE n o.UnNTITnTIyE V~LUE TO
THE LEVEL OF POLLUTION.
4    TREnTMENT OF PULMONnRY PROBLEMS nSSOCInTED WITH SMO~:E ~ND
PnRTICULnTE M~TTER FORM BURNING OIL WELLS SHOULD BE SYMPTOM~TIC.
5.   POC,  12TH MEDICnL DETnCHMENT, MEDCOM, nRCENT, LTC H~RRY ELLIS,
T~C 97B04-353
6.   POC, CENTCOM SURGEON~S OFFICE, LTC W~DE OR MnJ TYNHN  COMM
477-8150 T~C 98963-769/77C).//
BT
#1163


PRIORITY                      U N C L n S S I F I E `3
                         II I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I II

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