Army report shows chemicals at burn pit site
By Kelly Kennedy - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Nov 20, 2008 5:51:35 EST
A soldier concerned about his tour at Forward Operating Base Hammer near Balad, Iraq, this year sent Military Times a report showing high levels of particulate matter and low levels of manganese, possibly due to materials destroyed in a burn pit.
“The high risk estimate is due to the average (particulate matter) level being at a concentration the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency considers ‘hazardous,’ and is likely to affect the health of all troops,” wrote Jeffrey Kirkpatrick, director of health risk assessment for the U.S. Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine. “Manganese was also detected above its one-year military exposure guidelines.”
It was sent to the command surgeon general’s office for U.S. Central Command.
Particulate matter can lead to coughing, difficulty breathing, decreased lung function, aggravated asthma, chronic bronchitis, irregular heartbeat, nonfatal heart attacks and premature death in people with heart or lung disease, according to the EPA.
Long-term levels of high exposure to manganese can lead to problems in the central nervous system, such as slow visual reaction time, inability to keep the hands steady, and poor eye-hand coordination. It can also lead to feelings of weakness, tremors, a mask-like face and psychological effects. It can also lead to impotence and loss of libido, according to the EPA.
“I just returned from a 15-month deployment from Iraq with 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division to FOB Hammer, and some of us found a document saying that the level of a certain type of metal in the air was above military standards and to expect soldiers to become ill,” wrote the soldier, who asked not to be named for fear of repercussions. “There were burn pits there, and our base was located less than two miles from an Iraqi brick factory.”
The soldier is one of about 100 service members who have contacted Military Times because they are worried about their exposure to the burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan. Military officials say they’ve worked to get the situation under control by setting up incinerators at bases such as Joint Base Balad, also in Iraq, as of June 2008. FOB Hammer was built in March 2007.
The report, dated August 2007, comes from Kirkpatrick’s office, and, thus far, distribution has been “limited to U.S. Government Agencies only.”
It states that the risk for particulate matter less than 10 microns in diameter and metals is high, and that the manganese levels are expected to not be “consistently above the (military exposure guidelines) for one year. Therefore, the (occupational and environmental health risk) estimate for manganese in the ambient air is considered low.”
“It was indicated that the winds are especially high at this location and that the dust in the air is so bad that it is said to be ‘overwhelming,’” the report states. “A conservative assumption is that personnel inhale the ambient air for 24 hours a day for 365 days. In addition, it is assumed that control measures and/or personal protective equipment are not used.”
The report states that, in generally healthy troops, there will be more medical visits and respiratory infections because of the particulate matter, and that heavy aerobic activity may increase those effects. The report called the hazard severity of the particulates “marginal.” However, one sample was six-and-a-half times higher than the recommended military standard, and the report states most people are equally exposed to the air at the base, and said the exposure to rates higher than those recommended would be considered “frequent.”
It called the possible effects of manganese “negligible,” stating that though the average concentration was higher than military standards, it was partially because one of two samples was “atypically high” making the average seem high. “The concentration range for which actual effects (such as dementia/neurological changes or liver disease) have been observed in workers after repeated chronic exposures is ... 100 times greater than the [military standard],” the report states. “Therefore, no health effects are anticipated and the hazard severity is considered negligible.”
Lead levels were also above recommended levels in one of the samples.
However, the report also states risk estimate and confidence in the samples is low because only two were taken.
The report recommends taking samples at least every six days for the rest of the deployment, and informing preventive medicine and medical personnel of potential health effects of the particulate matter and heavy metals. It also recommends limiting outdoor physical activities when there are visibly high levels of particulate matters.
Previous stories:
• Burn pit at Balad raises concerns
• Senator wants answers on dangers of burn pits
• Burn pit fallout
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Thursday, November 20, 2008
Army report shows chemicals at burn pit site
