From: niebuhr@bnlux1.bnl.gov (david niebuhr)
Subject: Re: Agent Orange update
Organization: Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973
Distribution: usa
Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1992 19:22:48 GMT

In article <1992Jul21.173403.1501@cbnewsl.cb.att.com> oshea@cbnewsl.cb.att.com (d.o'shea) writes:
>In article <1992Jul18.222748.28673@anasazi.com>, john@anasazi.com (John R. Moore) writes:
>> Keywords: 
>> 
>> In article <1992Jul17.151426.1183@cbnewsl.cb.att.com> oshea@cbnewsl.cb.att.com (d.o'shea) writes:
>> ]In article <9207162340.AA25807@mace.cc.purdue.edu>, jewell@MACE.CC.PURDUE.EDU (Larry Jewell) writes:
>> 
>   > The studies I have read (not read about... read), the Air Force study and
>   > the CDC study, give little evidence that Agent Orange was harmful. In fact,
>[1]> the cancer rate in Vietnam Vets is inversely proportional to the likely
>   > exposure to AO that they may have experienced - the highest cancer rate
>   > is among those who served on Navy ships off the coast of VN.
>   > 
>   > Certainly AO is NOT responsible for the majority of health complaints that
>   > have been attributed to it (and, sigh, the ransom that was paid by the
>[2]> manufacturers). It may have some very slight carcinogenic potential (most
>   > everything does) - veterans exposed to it may be at statistically significant
>   > increased risk of certain cancers. On the other hand, I would be far more
>   > concerned about exposure to:
>   >   -stress
>   >   -solvents
>   >   -cigarette smoke
>   > than Agent Orange.
>   > 
>   > In my opinion the AO controversy is a combination of hysteria and
>   > politics.
>   > 
>[3]> Oh, and yes, some dioxins are very carcinogenic in lab anamals and are
>   > no doubt carcinogenic in people. Remember that the next time you burn
>   > anything - it releases dioxins.
>   
>This subject of Agent Orange has been glossed over by the military and
>government because of potencial liability.  The research paper you read
>raises some interesting questions.
>
I agree.

>Item [1] :  This would indicate that AO has some potencial benifit with
>   respect to incidents of cancer.  It may protect against certain cancers.
>
>Item [2] :  According to my copy of the "Handbook of Hazardous Chemicals",
>   few hazardous chemicals been shown to cause cancer.
>   However, thoes that are know to, have been proven.
>   A person can eat all the salt in the world and it will not cause cancer.
          
No it won't cause cancer, but it will produce a whopper of a case of
hypertension.
>
>Item [3] :  The law states that any product that has been proven to cause
>  cancer in laboratory animals is not fit for human consumption.  Why?
>  Does the USAF report state that every fire creates dioxins?
>
>During the late 1940s, the Army marched thousands of solders into atomic
>bomb mushroom clouds.  This was done even after they know what effect
>radiation had on the survivors of Hiroshama and Nagazaki.  During the
>Bikini Atol tests in the 50s, servicemen were made to stand on ship decks
>during the detonation of some of our largest H-bombs.  You cannot prove
>that veterans who were exposed to these weapons suffered from cancers
>that were the direct result of such exposure.  How nice.
>   
No, it cannot be proved definitively.  How then does one explain the
increased rate of various cancers among the soldiers who participated
in those tests?  That is if they're still alive.

If radiation doesn't cause cancers and other medical abnormalities,
why do the feds sponsor a team of medicos that go to the Marshall Islands
to treat the people who were exposed to the radiation from the Bikini
Atoll tests and their survivors?  The same can probably be said for Agent 
Orange in the future when the "gummint" owns up to its responsibilities.

>DMO

Dave

Dave Niebuhr      Internet: niebuhr@bnl.gov / Bitnet: niebuhr@bnl
Brookhaven National Laboratory Upton, NY 11973  (516)-282-3093

USNR 1959-1961
USAF 1961-1965
A VET and proud of it

-- 

Dave Niebuhr      Internet: niebuhr@bnl.gov / Bitnet: niebuhr@bnl
Brookhaven National Laboratory Upton, NY 11973  (516)-282-3093

Newsgroups: soc.veterans