I posted last December about carbon dust exposure and health effects from that exposure. Over the last year the VA has done numerous medical tests and determined several findings. I will say at the outset that I have never smoked and ran marathons for many years. The CT scan showed nodules in my lungs. I am being retested every year to see if the number and/or size of the nodules have changed (this year's test showed more nodules). I am hoping that if the nodules are from carbon dust exposure that the dust was not a carcinogen. If that were the case all of would be dying from lung cancer which I think is not the case although there has not been an epidemiological study done of SOSUS operators. The second finding is from spirometry tests that show a deceased lung capacity of 15-20%. It turns out that the ozone exposure that we received as OTAs is several orders of magnitude higher than any ambient air pollution levels (think of the strong ozone smell and burning of the nose while looking up the grams). Ozone is a strong oxidizer of tissue and causes changes at the cellular level that reduces the elasticity of the upper airway passages and bronchioles. I have contacted CUS to see if they had any results from the industrial hygiene testing that was done in the 1970s. They said that they did not have any information and referred me to the Navy Environmental Health Command. That command also said that they did not have any records from that period but I could file a FOIA to get a more extensive record search done. The VA also said that if a person smoked tobacco products that these findings would be masked by that exposure. The bottom line is that the VA gave me a 10% disability rating for the damage caused by exposure to carbon dust and ozone. If anyone out there is having similar symptoms (chest tightness, wheezing, chest pain) then they should get checked out and at the very least have a spirometry test and CT scan done. All said and done I regret the health issues but wouldn't trade any of them for my years (1970-73 Eleuthera and 1973-75 Keflavik)in the SOSUS system. I met so many great committed and dedicated sailors and we all broke the back of the Soviet Bear. It was worth it.
Thank you for posting this information, Dennis. If it's OK with you I would like to share it with others who had similar SOSUS experiences. - Jim
Jim,
That would be fine with me. If it turns out that these symptoms are ubiquitous across the community maybe we can get the VA to do an epidemiological study of our members.
Dennis
Dennis. Agreed. I posted your note on the "IUSS Members" and the "OTs and OTAs/OTMs" pages on Facebook. I did not include your name. I think the information is of great importance to anyone who ever served in one of SOSUS facilities (especially OT Analysts whose jobs put them inches from the actuators for hours on end for years) prior to the vacuum systems being installed and even after. - Jim
Thanks for the info CDR and Jim, I have a semi-annual Dr. appointment on the 31st and I'm going to discuss this with him. I started with the system in 73 in Barbados which did not have a vaccum system installed at that time. I remember even with the vaccum system there was still a lot of carbon dust in the air, especially at the bigger stations with a lot more paper.
I know that a contracting company came to Kef. in 1973 to test the air quality in the display room. I remember having the evening watch and those technicians placed small canisters that sucked air in at various places (sort of like small canister vacuum cleaners) and they had white filters at their end. The technicians said they would be alright and they would get them tomorrow. Ha! Toward the end of the evening watch and into the beginning of the mid watch those filters were black and the vacuums were screaming. The technicians were found at one of the clubs and were called out to the site. They couldn't believe it at first. To my recollection, nobody heard results of that study. So, someone's got the data somewhere as to levels of contaminates etc. I am 68and have numerous bouts with bronchitis, pneumonia and Upper Respiratory Infections(URI's). I have always wondered about this, but in joining some of these groups, I think there is something there. Thanks to all you that served. You won that Cold War!
Of interest. I still have an actuator, complete with dirty carbon dust and installed vacuum hoses. Retrieved it from DRMO when we closed NAVFAC Keflavik in 1996. It's been in a box in my garage except for once or twice when I displayed it at reunions.
I am wondering if it could be tested now to determine if the types of carbon we were exposed to is or is not dangerous.
- Jim
Jim in addition to carbon dust, there seemed to be alot of ozone in the area of the consoles. Can't help but wonder when I see the effect of ozone on materials exposed to the gas when its used for water purification.
I am not one to defend unsafe working conditions, like the carbon dust we all inhaled, and the dust from cleaning out the furnace, cleaning the overhead lights for inspections. Or walking/standing for hours at a time, but one thing I know for sure that many of us smoked, drank, and partied too much, but at least we were not in a war zone as a "tunnel rat", or are fighting "Agent Orange". Just my thoughts.
CEC
And Good Thoughts they are Chuck.
J.A.Daniel Smith said it best when he uttered his famous saying that:
"We drank coffee from Daylight to Dark and we drank alcohol sometimes from Dark to Daylight and most of us had a cigarette with each and every beverage all while having the times of our lives. What do we expect our health to be".
JAD had it right and Chuck's post just reinforces that we had it made and have no right to complain at this stage.
Good post Chuck.
J