Chemical & Disease Updates – Page 7 – Air Corps Chemical Abuse Survivors

Human health effects of Trichloroethylene: key findings & scientific issues

BACKGROUND: In support of the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) completed a toxicological review of trichloroethylene (TCE) in September 2011, which was the result of an effort spanning > 20 years.

OBJECTIVES: We summarised the key findings and scientific issues regarding the human health effects of TCE in the U.S. EPA’s toxicological review.

METHODS: In this assessment we synthesised and characterised thousands of epidemiologic, experimental animal, and mechanistic studies, and addressed several key scientific issues through modelling of TCE toxicokinetics, meta-analyses of epidemiologic studies, and analyses of mechanistic data.

DISCUSSION: Toxicokinetic modeling aided in characterizing the toxicological role of the complex metabolism and multiple metabolites of TCE. Meta-analyses of the epidemiologic data strongly supported the conclusions that TCE causes kidney cancer in humans and that TCE may also cause liver cancer and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Mechanistic analyses support a key role for mutagenicity in TCE-induced kidney carcinogenicity. Recent evidence from studies in both humans and experimental animals point to the involvement of TCE exposure in autoimmune disease and hypersensitivity. Recent avian and in vitro mechanistic studies provided biological plausibility that TCE plays a role in developmental cardiac toxicity, the subject of substantial debate due to mixed results from epidemiologic and rodent studies.

CONCLUSIONS: TCE is carcinogenic to humans by all routes of exposure and poses a potential human health hazard for non-cancer toxicity to the central nervous system, kidney, liver, immune system, male reproductive system, and the developing embryo/fetus.

Read full article on US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3621199/

Please note that the tower to the left of the hangar is the exhaust stack for the original Trike bath and is as old as the main ERF building (built 1915-1918).

Recent internal reports by the Air Corps suggest that Trike degreasing was only introduced to the Air Corps in the 1980s but this information is clearly incorrect possibly by 50-60 years.

26 victims of RAF cancer: Scots veterans launch legal fight against MoD for years of deadly chemical exposure after cancers ravage their squippers group

Scottish RAF workers are set to launch a multi-million-pound legal fight after being exposed to deadly chemicals which they claim caused cancer.

The Ministry of Defence have been accused of failing to accept responsibility for the horrific illnesses and deaths of 26 former servicemen who were regularly exposed to toxic substances at Scottish air bases.

The airmen and women were part of a specialist branch called “squippers”, who repaired aircrew survival equipment at UK bases including Lossiemouth, Leuchars and Kinloss in the 80s and 90s.

They claim deadly illnesses were caused by daily exposure over years of service to carcinogenic chemicals in poorly ventilated rooms with little or no protective clothing.

Many of the specialist engineers now have various cancers including non-Hodgkin lymphoma, throat cancer and blood cancer.

Added new information to the ACCAS “Chemical Info” page

Added some more chemicals to the chemical list including the following sealants & primers. These were used a lot by sheet metal workers and are very toxic. Have also added some constituent chemicals from the SDS list , some are unpronounceable.

Added manufacturer SDS

Added constituent chemicals

New Locations & New Illnesses

We are delighted to announce that No3 Support Wing (Helicopter Wing) & Gormanston Camp have joined the list of toxic sites with staff suffering life threatening illness.

We are also delighted to announce that we have added Hypokalemia and Occupational Asthma to the illness list.

Jet Fuel Toxins More Of A Problem To Airfield Workers Than To Travelers

If you are a frequent flier for business or pleasure, should you be worried about jet fuel exposure? People who are exposed to jet fuel vapors only occasionally typically have a chance to recover between flights. For them, problems from jet fuel are likely to be minimal.

But if you work at the airport, especially if you work in close proximity to planes, or you live under a flight path, the toxic effects of jet fuel pollution should be a concern for you. Here are seven facts airfield and airport workers and people who live close (within 1 mile/2 km) of airports need to know.

Read full article on Steady Health

http://www.steadyhealth.com/articles/the-surprising-effects-of-jet-fuel-toxins-on-bones-and-tissues?show_all=1

Irish Army Air Corps injuries summons lists 26 sample negligence claims

One plaintiff’s summons list contains 26 examples where they claim negligence, including that he was regularly required to use Trichloroethylene without any training as to how to use it, or the proper protective measures required to use it. Medical advice has attributed mental and physical health problems to exposure to such chemicals, writes Joe Leogue.