Office of Public Health & Environmental Hazards Pesticides, Sarin Gas & Antidotes Was I Exposed? Was the Cure Worse? Omowunmi (‘Wunmi) Osinubi, MD, M.Sc., MBA, FRCA. Associate Professor (Adjunct) Department of Occupational and Environmental Health University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey -School of Public Health Occupational & Environmental Health Physician War Related Illness and Injury Study Center
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Office of Public Health & Environmental Hazards Pesticides, Sarin Gas & Antidotes Was I Exposed? Was the Cure Worse? Omowunmi (Wunmi) Osinubi, MD, M.Sc.,
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Office of Public Health &Environmental Hazards
Pesticides, Sarin Gas & Antidotes
Was I Exposed? Was the Cure Worse?
Omowunmi (‘Wunmi) Osinubi, MD, M.Sc., MBA, FRCA.
Associate Professor (Adjunct) Department of Occupational and Environmental Health
University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey -School of Public Health
Occupational & Environmental Health PhysicianWar Related Illness and Injury Study Center
“On a nightly basis, we would spray our uniforms with pesticides…. We had to hang them outside so that the excess spray would dissipate in the air…. We were not supposed to put them on immediately after spraying them.
…The sand fleas were a problem. We used to put flea collars around the legs of our cots, or we would put flea powder on the floor around our cots to try to keep the sand fleas away from us while we were sleeping…We slept with nets over us to keep the flies off….The flies were ungodly”
--SSgt TS, Gulf War veteran (GRAC Report, 2008)
Pesticides?
Chemical substances used to control and destroy pests that interfere with man’s agricultural, environmental or amenity requirements.
First use of synthetic pesticides –1940 Consumption increasing worldwide
2.26 million tons of active ingredients used in 2001
As of 1999 – 74% of all US used at least one pesticide in the home.
Utility based on selective toxicity Environmental toxins intentionally
introduced to the environment
Pesticides – Benefits
Crop protection Food preservation Material Preservation Disease control
Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)
Risks Adverse impact on
environment & ecosystems Travel long distances Low water & high fat solubility Persist & bio-concentrate Concentrate in marine animals Accumulate in the food chain May produce toxic human
effects
Economic Poison
Pesticides – Classification by Use
Chemicals designed to kill, reduce, or repel pests
Fumigants
Wood preservatives
HerbicidesInsecticides
Rats, mice, moles
Insects MouldsWeeds
RodenticidesFungicides
Insect repellants
Pesticides – Classification By Use & Chemical
StructureDifferent chemicals used for different purposes
Use of Pesticides in Gulf War Desert is home to large numbers of flying & biting insects
and other pests Control of disease-carrying pests is an important part of
force protection & readiness in deployed settings Military personnel issued pesticide creams, liquids, sprays
to use on skin, uniforms & beddings; and pest strips, baits & sprays used in living quarters Personal repellants – 33% cream or 75% liquid DEET on the skin,
OFF e.t.c. Organochlorine – Lindane used for delousing in processing more
than 87,000 enemy prisoners & US Army personnel for personal use.
US military preventive medicine specialists & field sanitation teams did environmental spraying & fogging using various concentrations in areas were troops lived, ate & worked. OPs- Chlorpyrifos, diazinon & malathion Carbamates – propoxur & bendiocarb
Local pest control services by host nations ?information on pesticides used
U.S. troops had available for use, at least 64 pesticides/related products
37 active ingredients; 15 of which are “pesticides of concern”
Pest control program was highly successful →low rates of arthropod borne illnesses.
Marketed under a variety of names OPs - Chlopyrifos, parathion, diazinon, malathion Carbamates - carbofuran, aldicarb, and carbaryl
Fat soluble – easily absorbed through the skin Readily transported throughout the body
Mechanism of Action Organophosphates & Carbamates
Inhibit the enzyme, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) which normally functions to degrade acetylcholine in nerve synapses Buildup of acetylcholine (ACh) Overstimulation of ACh receptors.
Effects of multiple exposures are additive (flea collar, insect repellant, home & lawn treatment)
Effects can be long-lasting
Highly toxic to animals, pets, livestock & humans
Nerve Agents Muscarinic effects
Postganglionic parasympathetic
Nicotinic effects Preganglionic
sympathetic & parasympathetic
Neuromuscular junction
Excess Ach in CNS
Spinal Cord Ganglia NEJ
NMJ
Ganglia
Autonomic Nervous System
Somatic Nervous System
ACh
ACh
ACh ACh
ACh
Epl-
Sympathetic
Parasympathetic
NE
Effects of Cholinesterase Inhibition (Nerve Agents)
"Irreversible"cholinesteraseinhibitionCholinergic crisis:- nausea, vomiting- hypersecretion- miosis- fasciculations- coma
Low cholinesteraselevels in redblood cells
- Decontamination- IV Atropine - Supportive care- Oximes (pralidoxime)
CarbamatesCarbarylAldicarb
Reversiblecholinesteraseinhibition
Low cholinesteraselevels in RBC
-Decontamination-IV Atropine - Supportive care- NO Oximes
Chemical Warfare Nerve Agents
Anti-cholinesterases similar to OPs Readily absorbed by inhalation, ingestion & dermal contact Rapidly fatal systemic effects may occur Most toxic chemical warfare agents
G-Type Nerve Agents Clear colorless liquids, volatile at ambient temp
Tabun (GA); Sarin (GB); Soman (GD)
V-Type Nerve Agents Amber liquid, low volatility unless high temp
VX
Sarin Discovered in 1938 in Germany by 2 scientists
attempting to create stronger OPs Most toxic of the G-agents made by Germany
Named in honor of its discovers Schrader Ambros Rudiger & Vand der LINde
WWW II - large amounts incorporated into artillery shells Nazi Germany ultimately decided not to use sarin
against allied targets
M190 Honest John chemical warhead section containing demonstration M134 GB (Sarin) bomblets.
“My unit arrived in the Gulf the day before the air war started. We spent about 1 month in Saudi Arabia. Our chemical alarms went off several times during that month…we had to go to MOPP – level four...
…While in Saudi Arabia, we started taking PB pills…about 3 days after, my eyes were jittery, my vision was jumping, I was seeing double, & I was nauseated. By the 4th day, I was vomiting a little blood, so I went to sick call, they told me to cut the dose in half…nothing to worry about…others in the unit had similar vision problems
--SSgt TS, Gulf War veteran (GRAC Report, 2008)
Exposure to PGW Chemical Weapons Iraqis had chemical weapons, US troops had
successfully destroyed most of the chemical manufacturing & storage targets in an air offensive
Iraq did not use nerve agents in PGW March 1991- Army detonated large caches of
stored munitions in Khamisiyah area. Troops were potentially exposed to low-levels of nerve
agents. No reports of high-level exposures with large number
of soldiers with symptoms of nerve agent poisoning.
Protecting the Troops from Chemical Warfare Nerve
Agents 1. Chemical agent detection &
monitoring alarm systems
2. Personal protective equipment
3. Nerve agent prophylaxis
4. Post-exposure treatment
Multi-level Chemical Detection & Monitoring systems
M8A1 – initial alarm, troops instructed to wear protective gear, detects nerve agents only at levels high enough to cause symptoms
False alarm in the presence of screening smokes, signaling smokes, engine exhaust, rocket/missile propellant smokes, and electromagnetic pulse (EMP).
Repeated false alarms →ignoring and/or disabling the systems
M256A1 detector kit: 20 – 25 mins to complete test, not useful as early warning monitor, less false positives, used to verify chemical agents
Armored FOX NBC Reconnaissance vehicles M43A1 chemical agent detector, MM-1 mobile mass
spectrometer
The M256A1 kit can manually detect & classify nerve, blister, and blood agents in vapor or liquid form.
Chemical detection equipment. A soldier using an Improved Chemical Agent Monitor (ICAM).
Automatic Chemical AgentDetector Alarm (ACADA)
Personal Protection Gear Mission Oriented Protective Posture (MOPP) Protective garments worn in a possible chemical
event Protective mask (a.k.a. gas mask), filters chemical,