Other reference documents included government publications, books, conference proceedings, and US and international agencies' and institutions' reports. In addition to the RAND report, information from other sources on health effects associated with this type of exposure was used to complete this section. The US Army Environmental Hygiene Agency conducted the most comprehensive monitoring program, including taking more than 4,000 samples. In general, the monitoring results were consistent among the various organizations involved. Ambient standards were designed to protect populations that included the sick, the elderly, and the very young, and therefore would provide a more conservative level of protection for US troops.
Occupational standards entail a trade-off.
Occasionally personnel were exposed longer than eight hours per day, but the cumulative exposure was for several hours to a few weeks and not over a working lifetime. Therefore one can argue that neither standard directly applies to Gulf War veterans' exposures, and that they should be used only as reference points when assessing exposures. Table 9 presents the mean and maximum observed concentrations from the locations with the highest recorded contaminant levels measured during the oil fires and compares them to US ambient and occupational exposure standards. Particulate matter levels, although high, were considered to be within the range common to this area. In addition to the high levels of PM 10 particulate matter, other regional background conditions also affect human health.