Category: Chemical & Disease Updates

Updates on chemical and disease info

Dáil Éireann Written Answers 23/05/17 – Defence Forces – Suicide Rates

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)

To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number of recorded suicides of personnel serving in the Army, Naval Service and Air Corps from 2010 to date, in tabular form. [24001/17]

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)

I am advised by the military authorities that the Defence Forces Personnel Management System does not capture data on the number of suicides of serving members of the Defence Forces.

Therefore the Defence Forces are not in a position to provide the information requested in relation to death by suicide. All sudden deaths must be reported to the relevant Coroner’s Office. It is a matter for the Coroner to decide whether a post mortem should be conducted and to determine the cause of death.

Considering the ongoing mental health issues concerning both Air Corps workplace chemical exposures and Larium, for the Minister & Defence Forces to wash their hands of this is simply shocking.

Why are our Defence Forces not maintaining these statistics like their British counterparts?

Irish Army Air Corps Toxic Chemical Exposure – Survivors List of Demands

The priorities of the Air Corps Chemical Abuse Survivors is firstly to prevent further unnecessary loss of life amongst survivors and secondly to improve the quality of life of survivors by reducing unnecessary suffering.

Both the Royal Australian Air Force & the Armed forces of the Netherlands have offered templates as to how to approach unfortunate workplace chemical exposure issues with competence, fairness, justice & urgency.

We urge that all responsible organisations in the state such as political parties, government departments and the Defence Forces to work together to commit the state to provide the following for survivors as an ex. gratia scheme with no admission of liability by the state.

Current & future legal cases should be allowed to take their natural course unhindered whilst all survivors are cared for equally by the state.

Read more about our demands below.

Mechanism of injury for Autoimmune based illness in Irish Air Corps

We believe we have evidence to suspect that many of the illnesses are symptoms of an auto-immune disorder that has been triggered by unprotected over exposure to Jet A1, Jet Exhaust, Isocyanates & Trichloretheylene. These chemicals are know to cause immune system sensitisation to an extent that subsequent exposures to minute quantities can trigger a disproportionate immune response.

Thus we now believe the very common illnesses such as Anxiety / Brain Fog / Breathing Difficulties / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome / Concentration Difficulties / Depression / Headaches / Idiopathic Pain / Insomnia / Irritable Bowel Syndrome / Osteopenia & also “inconsistent” food intolerance issues all appear to be linked and are merely symptoms.

We are in the process of establishing contact with appropriate members of the medical & scientific community to investigate this further. Also the list of sensitising chemicals will likely increase, given the sheer numbers of toxic chemicals in use in the Irish Army Air Corps, once we have had time to investigate them all.

Any personnel suffering from above please make contact via our Facebook page as we may have some simple remedies that may offer some respite and also some information for your GP.

Illnesses suffered by just a single person from Irish Air Corps

Below is my list of illness since 2000. Some of which were diagnosed then subsequently deemed a misdiagnosis which was then referred to as part of a combination of conditions related auto immune system disease.

I have been told I have never been text book in my symptoms for these various conditions but have shown some or all symptoms at various stages in the past 17 years which can flare up at any stage.

I have also failed on all current immunosuppressive drugs except for the latest injection I am receiving but only time will tell if this will last

Yours sincerely

 Former member of No3 Support Wing

Prior to joining the Irish Army Air Corps this person was an accomplished athlete and represented the Defence Forces and his unit at many running competitions. The above illnesses started to occur approximately 1 year after joining Heli Wing.

Furthermore and as has happened in other cases this person was treated as a malingerer and actively haunted by Air Corps management until he went on his ticket. Essentially he was constructively dismissed by the Irish Army Air Corps after they had made him seriously ill.

Irish Air Corps Toxic Chemical List Update – Dichloromethane (DCM)

We have just added a link to information on Dichloromethane from PubChem the Open Chemistry Database. Please have a look at green links on our chemical info page here. We will add more on a regular basis.

It is interesting to note the number of illnesses associated with or suspected from Dichloromethane exposure. How many colleagues do we know who have died or are affected by some of the following?

  • Biliary Cancer
  • Blood Cancers
  • Brain Cancer
  • Breast Cancer
  • Cervical Cancer
  • Carbon Monoxide Poisoning*
  • Dizziness
  • Drowsiness
  • Irritation of eyes, skin;
  • Lassitude (weakness, exhaustion)
  • Liver Cancer
  • Lung Cancer
  • Mammary Gland Tumours
  • Miscarriage
  • Nausea
  • Optic Neuropathy
  • Prostate Cancer
  • Phosgene poisoning

Dichloromethane is reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen (B2) based on sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity from studies in experimental animals.

Dichloromethane also goes by the synonyms below .

  • Bichloride, Methylene
  • Chloride, Methylene
  • Dichloride, Methylene
  • Methylene Bichloride
  • Methylene Chloride
  • Methylene Dichloride
  • Solaesthin

*Human exposure is mainly due to inhalation and its bio-transformation by the hepatic mixed function oxidases leads to formation of carbon monoxide (CO). Simultaneous exposure to Dichloromethane and increased ambient CO results in undesirably increased carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) formation, which predisposes to carboxyhemoglobinemia with the central nervous system as the primary target organ of toxicity.

New additions to child illness list Irish Air Corps Toxic Chemical Scandal

New additions to child illness list in recent weeks are as follows:

  • Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
  • Autism – Asperger’s Syndrome
  • Autism – DSM-IV
  • Autism – Tuberous sclerosis
  • Autism Spectrum
  • Cri-Du-Chat Syndrome
  • Developmental coordination disorder
  • Dyslexia
  • Dyscalculia
  • Hiatus Hernia
  • Inflammatory Bowel Disease
  • Mitral insufficiency
  • Sensory processing disorder
  • Trisomy 21
  • Ventricular Septal Defect
  • XYY Syndrome

See details at Child Illness List

Updated Photo of Irish Air Corps NDT Workshop

We have updated our annotated photograph of the black hole of Baldonnel, that being the Non Destructive Testing (NDT) workshop of the Engine Repair Flight (ERF).

We have also added the old European hazard symbols (up to 2007) as well as the current R-Phrases as sub-menus under the Chemical Info menu.

Below are just 2 (lethal) chemicals from 1 location. All tech locations in Baldonnel used chemicals as well as photo section and refuelers. In all up to 300 different chemicals were in use with ZERO safety precautions.

Chemetall Ardrox 666

  • Dichloromethane:Methylene Chloride (Xn, R40)
  • Cresylic Acid (T, C, R24/25, R34)
  • Solvent Naphtha (Xn, N, R10,R37, R51/55, R65, R66, R67)
  • Sodium Chromate (T+, N, R45, R46, R60, R61, R21, R25, R26, R34, R42/43, R48/23, R50/53)
  • Dipentene:Limonene (Xi, N, R10, R38, R43, R50/53)
Risk Phases
  • R45 May cause cancer.
  • R46 May cause heritable genetic damage.
  • R60 May impair fertility.
  • R61 May cause harm to the unborn child.
  • R34 Causes Burns.
  • R42/43 May cause sensitisation by inhalation and skin contact
  • R52/53 Harmful to aquatic organisms, may cause long term averse effects in the aquatic environment.

Chemetall Ardrox 1074

  • Orthophosphoric Acid (C, R34)
  • Ethyl-methyl-ketone (F,Xi, R11, R36, R66, R67)
  • 2,2’-oxydiethanol;diethylene-glycol (Xn, R22)
  • 2-Butoxyethanol (Xn, R20/21/22, R36/38) Citric Acid (Xi,R36)
  • Hydroflouric acid (T+, C, R26/27/28, R35)
Risk Phases
  • R11 Highly Flammable
  • R20/21/22 Harmful by inhalation, in contact with skin or if swallowed.
  • R26/27/28 Very toxic by inhalation, in contact with skin and if swallowed.
  • R34/35 Causes burns / Severe Burns.
  • R36//37/38 Irritating to eyes, respiratory system and skin.
  • R66 Repeated exposure may cause skin dryness or cracking.
  • R67 Vapours may cause drowsiness and dizziness.

Irish Air Corps Chemical List Update – Trichloroethylene (TCE)

We have just added a link to information on Trichloroethylene from PubChem the Open Chemistry Database. Please have a look at green links on our chemical info page here. We will add more on a regular basis.

It is interesting to note the large number of illnesses associated with or suspected from Trichloroethylene exposure. How many colleagues do we know who have died or are affected by some of the following?

  • Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
  • Cervical Cancer
  • Liver Cancer
  • Kidney Cancer
  • Lung Tumours
  • Liver Tumours
  • Kidney Tumours
  • Testicular Tumors
  • Irritation of eyes, skin;
  • Headache
  • Visual disturbance
  • Lassitude (weakness, exhaustion)
  • Dizziness
  • Tremor
  • Drowsiness
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Dermatitis
  • Cardiac arrhythmias
  • Paresthesia
  • Liver injury
  • Male reproductive toxin
  • Developmental effects
  • Increase in miscarriages
  • Congenital heart disease in children
  • Increased histamine release & inflammatory cytokine production from antigen-stimulated mast cells

EPA: Carcinogenic to humans, IARC: Carcinogenic to humans (evidence for cancer is based on kidney cancer, limited evidence for non-Hodgkin lymphoma and liver cancer, as well as, various tumors in animals). NTP: Known to be a Human Carcinogen.

Trichloroethylene also goes by the synonyms below as well as a large number of trade names.

  • Ethinyl Trichloride
  • Trichloride, Ethinyl
  • Trichloroethene (not to be confused with Trichloroethane)
  • Trielina
  • Trilene

Profile of patients with chemical injury and sensitivity

Patients reporting sensitivity to multiple chemicals at levels usually tolerated by the healthy population were administered standardised questionnaires to evaluate their symptoms and the exposures that aggravated these symptoms. Many patients were referred for medical tests.

It is thought that patients with chemical sensitivity have organ abnormalities involving the liver, nervous system (brain, including limbic, peripheral, autonomic), immune system, and porphyrin metabolism, probably reflecting chemical injury to these systems. Laboratory results are not consistent with a psychological origin of chemical sensitivity.

Substantial overlap between chemical sensitivity, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue syndrome exists: the latter two conditions often involve chemical sensitivity and may even be the same disorder. Other disorders commonly seen in chemical sensitivity patients include headache (often migraine), chronic fatigue, musculoskeletal aching, chronic respiratory inflammation (rhinitis, sinusitis, laryngitis, asthma), attention deficit, and hyperactivity (affected younger children). Less common disorders include tremor, seizures, and mitral valve prolapse. Patients with these overlapping disorders should be evaluated for chemical sensitivity and excluded from control groups in future research.

Agents whose exposures are associated with symptoms and suspected of causing onset of chemical sensitivity with chronic illness include gasoline, kerosene, natural gas, pesticides (especially chlordane and chlorpyrifos), solvents, new carpet and other renovation materials, adhesives/glues, fiberglass, carbonless copy paper, fabric softener, formaldehyde and glutaraldehyde, carpet shampoos (lauryl sulfate) and other cleaning agents, isocyanates, combustion products (poorly vented gas heaters, overheated batteries), and medications (dinitrochlorobenzene for warts, intranasally packed neosynephrine, prolonged antibiotics, and general anesthesia with petrochemicals).

Multiple mechanisms of chemical injury that magnify response to exposures in chemically sensitive patients can include neurogenic inflammation (respiratory, gastrointestinal, genitourinary), kindling and time-dependent sensitisation (neurologic), impaired porphyrin metabolism (multiple organs), and immune activation.

Please download the full report from US National Library of Medicine
National Institutes of Health.

Toxicant and Disease Database

Please find below a link to a very useful “Toxicant & Disease Database” hosted by the The Collaborative on Health and the Environment in the USA.

Enter a disease and see what evidence there is for known chemical causes. Enter a chemical and see what evidence there is for diseases caused by this chemical.