Tag: autoimmune diseases

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.

Human rights of members of the armed forces

Recommendation CM/Rec(2010)4 of the Committee of Ministers to member states on human rights of members of the armed forces

(Adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 24 February 2010 at the 1077th meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies)

J-51.  Current and, where applicable, former members of the armed forces should have access to information with regard to their exposure during service to situations, either past or present, which were or are potentially hazardous to their health.

When public authorities, including military authorities, engage in hazardous activities which might have latent adverse effects on health, they should put in place an accessible and efficient procedure which enables persons involved in such activities to access all relevant and appropriate information.

In addition, authorities should not only to disclose this type of information, but also to refrain from imposing a long and complex procedure to obtain such information.

Minister Paul Kehoe T.D. appears to be in breach of the human rights of Air Corps Chemical Abuse Survivors as his department refuses to inform military personnel who served in the Irish Army Air Corps of the hazardous & toxic chemicals they were actually exposed to in the working environment.

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.

State blasted over Irish Army Air Corps Toxic Chemical safety

A whistle-blower has criticised the Government’s handling of allegations of health and safety management in the Air Corps, claiming that staff exposure to toxic chemicals has caused the deaths and chronic illnesses suffered by members and their families


 

The new protected disclosure, submitted earlier this week, claims that chemical exposures may have contributed to the cancers, depression, and cardiac diseases recorded in Air Corps staff, as well as the miscarriages and illnesses suffered by the partners and children of members.

Read more on the Irish Examiner website.

 

Silver Bullet – Another human cost of the Irish Air Corps Toxic Chemical Health & Safety scandal

Finding a silver bullet would be a good thing.

It would be great to get a the definite answer or even to establish why I am suffering in silence, embarrassed by years of sudden uncontrollable bowel issues, breathing issues & aching to the bones even after the slightest bit of manual work. Looking at other men your age running and exercising every day without a hint of tiredness.

When you say to your family that you have no energy to do basic household maintenance work you really mean it and are not being lazy or when you suddenly seem to enter a dark mood and depressive state for no reason.

Have ticked a lot of the boxes for the range of “unexplained symptoms” listed so far and I am really hoping that they are not caused by the workplace environment & chemical products handled over the years. Because it creates a real daily worry as to what the future holds. What quality of life will I have if some of the more serious illnesses that colleagues have suffered eventually get a grip on me!

See the known list of illnesses suffered by Air Corp Chemical Abuse survivors below.

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

The University of Limerick failed to inform students of Baldonnel chemical fears

The University of Limerick failed to pass on health concerns about the Air Corps hangars to its work placement students, despite several warnings over chemical exposure fears.

Irish Air Corps Non Destructive Testing (NTD) Workshop

Although it was told that students “may have been exposed to toxic chemicals and organic solvents during the course of their work placement”, UL did not follow up on requests to inform the relevant students.

The warnings came over six months before the Health and Safety Authority issued a damning report on the Air Corps’ management of harmful chemicals at Casement Aerodrome, Baldonnel.

Read more on the Irish Examiner website