Subject: Pesticide, Gulf War illness link possible-------
Date: Sat, 13 Jan 2001 09:21:28 -0500
From: Stephen Tvedten <steve@getipm.com>
Organization: Get Set Inc. (www.getipm.com)
To: Paul Helliker <phelliker@cdpr.ca.gov>
Director, State
of California, Department of Pesticide Regulation
cc: Carol Browner browner.carol@epa.gov
Dear Mr. Helliker,
I thought you might like to read an article entitled: Pesticide, Gulf War illness link possible, dated Friday, 12
January 2001 13:26 (ET) and found at: http://www.vny.com/cf/News/upidetail.cfm?QID=151682
Pesticide, Gulf War illness link possible By PAMELA HESS
WASHINGTON, Jan. 12 (UPI) -- Some pesticides used by U.S.
soldiers to ward off fleas, ticks, flies and mosquitoes during the Gulf War
may be related to the mysterious symptoms reported by thousands of veterans,
the Pentagon said Friday.
The report stopped short of pinning the illness on these
agents, but labeled them a possible contributing factor that "cannot be
ruled out."
Around two-thirds of the 800,000 soldiers that served in
the war are believed to have used at least 65 different pesticides --
including fly strips, insect repellent, ground treatments and even flea and
tick collars intended for animals -- that contained toxic ingredients known to
produce symptoms frequently reported in Gulf War illness cases, including
fatigue, joint and muscle pain and headaches, according to a report prepared
by the Rand Corp. for the Defense Department.
However, only one of those soldiers was believed to be
exposed to enough of a pesticide at once to account for all the symptoms. That
soldier was in a warehouse where a pesticide was leaking.
Around 13,000 soldiers are believed to have worn flea
collars despite warnings not to by the Defense Department. As many as 4,000
applied general pesticides to areas where troops lived, and they did not
always wear recommended protective gear. More than 30,000 were over exposed to
fly strips, which emit vapors that can be harmful.
"Flies were very prevalent," said Bernard
Rostker, the Pentagon's Gulf War
illness chief.
The report is the latest in a series on possible causes
for maladies known collectively as Gulf War Syndrome. Nothing has yet been
identified as the cause, though several elements are believed to be
contributing factors.
Rand also assessed the health effects of wartime stress,
oil well fires, depleted uranium, pyridostigmine bromide and chemical and
biological agents.
Rostker said Gulf War illness remained a mystery, but
said there was no evidence that those who served in the Gulf War suffered
higher incidents of sick days or birth defects than those in the normal
population.
"We know there are veterans who are sick,"
Rostker said. "I would like very much to say 'this is the smoking gun and
by the way here is the cure that goes with the smoking gun.' I have not been
able to identify a smoking gun in terms of a single cause... I can't tell you
they would have been ill if they hadn't served."
The series of reports can be accessed at http://www.gulflink.osd.mil
--
Copyright 2000 by United Press
International. All rights reserved.
Well Mr. Helliker,
Of course there is not a whole lot of difference between those who
served and the general population - we are all bombarded/contaminated every
day with and to myriad combinations of acute, chronic and synergistic health
effects from MANY of your "registered" POISONS!
Do you ever think that "they" will admit that NONE of your
"registered" POISONS are tested for ALL or even ANY synergistic
health effects? Many people would
not be ill and/or dead if your pesticide POISONS had not been
"registered", including me and many of my own family........But,
that is only my opinion.
Respectfully, Stephen
L. Tvedten
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