Read Online

A Review of the Scientific Literature As It Pertains to Gulf War Illnesses

Volume 6: Oil Well Fires

by Dalia M. Spektor

Download

Download eBook for Free

Full Document

(includes all revisions)

FormatFile SizeNotes
PDF file 4.2 MB

Use Adobe Acrobat Reader version 10 or higher for the best experience.

Summary Only

FormatFile SizeNotes
PDF file 0.3 MB

Use Adobe Acrobat Reader version 10 or higher for the best experience.

Errata

FormatFile SizeNotes
PDF file 0.1 MB

Use Adobe Acrobat Reader version 10 or higher for the best experience.

Purchase

Purchase Print Copy

 FormatList Price Price
Add to Cart Paperback89 pages $15.00 $12.00 20% Web Discount

When the Iraqi army withdrew from Kuwait during the Gulf war, it left the Kuwait oil fields in flames. Burning crude oil produces a wide range of pollutants. This report examines the peer-reviewed scientific literature regarding possible health effects on U.S. troops of exposure to the oil well fires. The author reports that measurements taken in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, where most troops were assigned, showed concentrations of pollutants to be orders of magnitude lower than recommended occupational standards in the United States and comparable to ambient levels. The literature review revealed no health effects associated with the pollutants at the levels measured during the oil fires. Particulate matter concentrations were high, but were largely attributable to sand granules of a size that can affect the respiratory systems of sensitive population subgroups such as smokers or asthmatics.

Table of Contents

  • Preface

  • Figures

  • Tables

  • Summary

  • Acknowledgements

    Acknowledgments

  • Acronyms

  • Chapter One

    Introduction

  • Chapter Two

    Environmental Measurements

  • Chapter Three

    Possible Health Effects of Oil Fires

  • Chapter Four

    Findings and Conclusions

  • References

Research conducted by

This research was sponsored by the RAND National Security Research Division and RAND Health.

This report is part of the RAND Corporation Monograph report series. The monograph/report was a product of the RAND Corporation from 1993 to 2003. RAND monograph/reports presented major research findings that addressed the challenges facing the public and private sectors. They included executive summaries, technical documentation, and synthesis pieces.

This document and trademark(s) contained herein are protected by law. This representation of RAND intellectual property is provided for noncommercial use only. Unauthorized posting of this publication online is prohibited; linking directly to this product page is encouraged. Permission is required from RAND to reproduce, or reuse in another form, any of its research documents for commercial purposes. For information on reprint and reuse permissions, please visit www.rand.org/pubs/permissions.

The RAND Corporation is a nonprofit institution that helps improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis. RAND's publications do not necessarily reflect the opinions of its research clients and sponsors.