Military explosives and health: organic energetic compound syndrome?
Military explosives, which are Organic Energetic Compounds (OECs), might be initiating factors in clusters of warfare related illnesses. Substances such as HMX, RDX and TNT are neurotoxic and are possible human carcinogens. Not all the explosive material is consumed in an explosion so that the use of explosives generates harmful dust. In many clusters of illnesses a link can be defined with explosives. In researching for the cause of the illnesses several possibilities are mentioned, but explosives are rarely mentioned. This article considers the possible role of OECs, with the intention of encouraging studies to make the role of explosives clear: no cause, a link with insufficient evidence or the cause of many illnesses.
Hoek
Bart
B
Applied Physics Department, Delft University of Technology, The Netherland. barthoek@ws.tn.tudelft.nl
D001392:Azocines / Q000009:adverse effects; D005107:Explosions; D006256:Hazardous Waste / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006573:Heterocyclic Compounds, 1-Ring / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D009498:Neurotoxins / Q000009:adverse effects*; D018923:Persian Gulf Syndrome / Q000139:chemically induced*; D014227:Triazines / Q000009:adverse effects; D014303:Trinitrotoluene / Q000009:adverse effects; D014857:Warfare
D001392:Azocines; D006256:Hazardous Waste; D006573:Heterocyclic Compounds, 1-Ring; D009498:Neurotoxins; D014227:Triazines; D014303:Trinitrotoluene; C007950:octogen; C009160:cyclonite