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Blood and urine samples were collected from a sample of
the soldiers from the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment before, during, and
after their deployment from Germany to Kuwait from June 1991 to September
1991. The specimens were tested for biomarkers of exposure to organic
pollutants because of the oil well fire pollution in Kuwait following
the Gulf War. In addition, soldiers wore personal air sampling pumps in
Kuwait. High volume air samplers were also used near the soldiers' work
sites. No measurable amounts of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH)
were detected via the personal sampling pumps. The high volume samples
were tested for 23 different PAHs and more than half of them were undetectable.
Ambient concentrations of benzopyrene and other carcinogenic PAHs were
detectable in only 8 of 99 samples. In the blood samples, mean concentrations
of PAH-DNA adducts and for bulky aromatic DNA adducts were significantly
lower for the period of the deployment in Kuwait than for the periods
in Germany. Urinary levels of PAH metabolites were also lowest during
the period in Kuwait. These findings were contrary to expectations but
are consistent with evidence that PAH emissions are lower when fuels burn
in an uncontrolled manner with unrestricted access to oxygen. The low
levels of ambient PAHs are consistent with the low levels detected in
blood and urine. Limitations of the study: applicability of these results
to others stationed in Kuwait is uncertain; no air samples were taken
in Germany, although published results in the literature show PAHs at
considerably higher concentrations than those found in Kuwait; the contribution
of diet (known to affect levels of the biomarkers studied) was not addressed.
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