Last Update: January 3, 2001

Many veterans of the Gulf War have expressed concern that their unexplained illnesses may result from their experience in that war. In response to veterans’ concerns, the Department of Defense established a task force in June 1995 to investigate those incidents and circumstances relating to possible causes. The Office of the Special Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of Defense for Gulf War Illnesses assumed responsibility for these investigations on November 12, 1996, and continues to gather information on the use and exposure to pesticides. This is the office’s interim report.

To inform the public about the progress of this office, the Department of Defense publishes on the Internet and elsewhere accounts related to the possible causes of illness among Gulf War veterans, along with documentary evidence or personal testimony used in compiling the accounts. This environmental exposure report is such an account.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART A – ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE REPORT

 

A.1  SUMMARY

 

A.2  METHODOLOGY

A.  Investigation Process

1.  Database Searches

2.  Department of Defense Guidelines and Policies

3.  Health Effects Literature Search

4.  Gulf War Veteran Survey

5.  Personnel Interviews

6.  Health Risk Assessment

B.  Health Risk Assessment

 

A.3  BACKGROUND

A.  Potential Pest-Borne Health Threats in the Gulf

B.  Concerns About Pesticide Use in the Gulf

C.  Pesticides of Potential Concern

 

A.4  PESTICIDE USE AND EXPOSURE

A.   Introduction

B.  General Use Pesticides

1.  Repellents

2.  Fly Control

3.  Personal Delousing Agent

4.  Flea and Tick Collars

C.  Field Use Pesticides

1.  Certified Pesticides Applicators

2.  Field Sanitation Teams

D.  Delousing Pesticide

E.  British and French Use

F.  Host Nation Use

 

A.5  HEALTH EFFECTS OVERVIEW

A.  Pesticides of Potential Concern (POPC)

1.  Organophosphates

2.  Carbamates

3.  Organochlorines

4.  Pyrethroids

5.  Repellents

6.  Inert Ingredients

B.  Pyridostigmine Bromide (PB)

 

A.6  SUMMARY OF HEALTH RISK ASSESSMENT

A.  Introduction and Major Findings

1.  What the HRA Tells Us

2.  What the HRA Does Not Tell Us

B.  Data Collection

C.  Exposure Scenarios and Analysis

1.  Exposure Estimates

2.  Toxicity

3.  General Military Population

4.  Pesticide Applicators

D.  Possible Cumulative Effects

 

A.7  CONCLUSIONS

 

A.8  SUGGESTED AREAS FOR ADDITIONAL RESEARCH

 

A.9  LESSONS LEARNED

A.  Host Nation Application

B.  Delousing

C.  Training and Experience

D.  Supply Distribution and Local Purchase

E.  Equipment and Facilities

F.  Record-keeping

G.  Occupational Medical Surveillance

H.  Communications

I.  Command Support

 

PART B – HEALTH RISK ASSESSMENT

 

B.1  INTRODUCTION

 

B.2  DATA COLLECTION AND EVALUATION

A.  Exposure Data from Survey and Interviews

1.  Survey

2.  Preventive Medicine Interviews

3.  Fly Bait Interviews

4.  Delousing Interviews

B.  Screening Pesticide Products for Risk Assessment

 

B.3  EXPOSURE ASSESSMENT

A.  Introduction

B.  Quantifying Exposure in Personnel

1.  Exposure Point Concentrations

2.  Human Intakes

3.  Pesticide Handlers Exposure Database

C.  Personal-Use Products

1.  Application Scenarios

2.  Post-Application Scenarios

D.  Area Spray

1.  Application Scenarios

2.  d-Phenothrin Dose Rates – Application

3.  Post-Application Scenarios

4.  Air Modeling for d-Phenothrin

5.  d-Phenothrin Dose Rates – Post Application

E.  Fly Baits

1.  Application Scenarios

2.  Post-Application Scenarios

F.   Resin Strip

1.  Application Scenarios

2.  Post-Application Scenarios

3.  Air Modeling for Dichlorvos

4.  Dichlorvos Doses – Post Application

G.  Emulsifiable Concentrates Used for Spraying

1.  Application Scenarios

2.  Post-Application Scenarios

H.  Wettable Powder Used for Spraying

1.  Application Scenarios

2.  Bendiocarb Doses – Application

3.  Post-Application Scenarios

4.  Bendiocarb Doses – Post Application

I.  Products Used for Fogging

1.  Application Scenarios

2.  Post-Application Scenarios

J.  Lindane Dust

1.  Application Scenarios

2.  Air Modeling for Lindane

3.  Lindane Doses – Application

4.  Post-Application Scenarios

 

B.4  TOXICITY ASSESSMENT

A.  Introduction

B.  Hazard Identification

C.  Dose-Response Evaluation

1.  Noncarcinogenic Effects

2.  Carcinogenic Effects

3.  Provisional Toxicity Values

 

B.5  RISK CHARACTERIZATION

A.  Introduction

B.  Noncarcinogenic Effects Based on Standard Toxicity Values

C.  Noncarcinogenic Effects Based on Other Human Benchmarks

1.  DEET

2.  Permethrin

3.  d-Phenothrin

4.  Azamethiphos

5.  Methomyl

6.  Dichlorvos

7.  Chlorpyrifos

8.  Diazinon

9.  Malathion

10.  Propoxur

11.  Bendiocarb

12.  Lindane

D.  Carcinogenic Effects

E.  Cumulative Hazards and Risks

F.  Pesticide Metabolism and Potential Cumulative Effects

G.  Potential Pesticide Interactions with Pyridostigmine Bromide

H.  Regulatory Status

I.  Uncertainty and Variability Analysis

1.  Uncertainty in the Selection of POPCs

2.  Uncertainty in the Exposure Assessment

3.  Uncertainty in the Toxicity Assessment

4.  Uncertainty in the Risk Characterization

5.  Variability

 

B.6  CONCLUSIONS FROM THE HEALTH RISK ASSESSMENT

 

PART C – TABS

TAB C-1 – Acronyms, Abbreviations, and Glossary

 

TAB C-2 – Bibliography

 

TAB C-3 – Pesticide Guidance, Reference Information, and Research

 

TAB C-4 – Pest Management and Operations

 

TAB C-5 – Fly Baits

 

TAB C-6 – Delousing Operations

 

TAB C-7 – Logistics

 

TAB C-8 – Human Health Benchmarks

END NOTES

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