AIR QUALITY KUWAIT

File: cia_64888_64888_01.txt
Page: 01
Total Pages: 1
Subject: AIR QUALITY KUWAIT

Not Finally Evaluated Intelligence







TO FACILITATE ELECTRONIC ACCESS, THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN

REFORMATTED TO ELIMINATE INFORMATION THAT DOES NOT PERTAIN

TO GULF WAR ILLNESS ISSUES OR THAT IS CLASSIFIED. A COPY OF

THIS REDACTED DOCUMENT, IN ORIGINAL FORMAT, IS AVAILABLE ON

REQUEST.







FEB 91







FEB 91







SUBJECT: AIR QUALITY IN KUWAIT







1 .           RESULTS OF A WORKSHOP ON

THE MEDICAL EFFECTS OF CRUDE OIL EXPOSURES RELATED TO OPERATION

DESERT STORM. THE REPORT INDICATES THAT THE AIR QUALITY IN

KUWAIT MAY BE MORE SERIOUS THAN          ANTICIPATED, EVEN SERIOUS

ENOUGH TO BE LETHAL IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES. THERE IS, OF

COURSE, NO MEDICAL STRUCTURE CURRENTLY IN KUWAIT, AND IMPOSSIBLE

TO DETERMINE EXACTLY HOW SEVERE THE PROBLEM IS.







2. OF SPECIFIC INTEREST, IT IS ESTIMATED THAT APPROXIMATELY

2 PER CENT OF THE GASES COMING FROM THE BURNING OIL WELLS IS

HYDROGEN SULFIDE, WHICH CAN BE VERY DETRIMENTAL, EVEN FATAL IF

FOUND IN SUFFICIENT QUANTITIES. IT IS A COLORLESS GAS THAT

TENDS TO COLLECT OR FORM CLOUDS NEAR THE SURFACE BEFORE SLOWLY

DISSIPATING. OTHER GASES BEING EMITTED INCLUDE NITROUS OXIDE

AND SULPHUR DIOXIDE. THE PRESENCE OF VOLATILE HYDROCARBON

COMPOUNDS MAY COMPLICATE INGESTION AND POSES A SIGNIFICANT

INHALATION HAZARD. THE STANDARD ISSUE GAS MASK PROVIDES ONLY

LIMITED PROTECTION AGAINST THE IRRITANT GASES.

3. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THE WEATHER IN KUWAIT IS GOOD AT

THE PRESENT TIME. IN TWO MONTHS, THE SUMMER WILL BE UPON US AND

THERE WILL BE NO WIND. THIS WILL LIKELY CAUSE AN INVERSION AND

ONLY MAKE MATTERS WORSE.

4.







IS ALREADY HAVING ON DHAHRAN.          RECALL A NEWSPAPER ARTICLE ON

"BLACK RAIN" FALLING IN ANKARA AS A RESULT OF THE KUWAITI OIL

FIRES. RIYADH IS EXPECTED TO FEEL (BREATHE) THE EFFECTS OF IT,

BUT TO A LESSER EXTENT.

5

INDIVIDUALS WITH KNOWN RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS SHOULD BE FULLY

AWARE OF THE AIR QUALITY IN KUWAIT BEFORE ACCEPTING AN

ASSIGNMENT. IT IS DEFINITELY NOT A PLACE FOR DEPENDENTS,

ESPECIALLY SMALL CHILDREN, FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE. WE WILL

KEEP YOU ADVISED OF ANY DEVELOPMENTS OF WHICH WE WE BECOME

AWARE.







END OF MESSAGE







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