Assessing Health Outcomes After Environmental Exposures Associated With Open Pit Burning in Deployed US Service Members. (August 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Rohrbeck, Patricia; Hu, Zheng; Mallon, COL Timothy M.
• Is Part Of: Journal of occupational and environmental medicine. Volume 58:(2016)Supplement 1 8S
• Publication Date: 2016-08
• Subjects: Medicine, Industrial -- Periodicals; Environmental health -- Periodicals; Occupational Medicine -- Periodicals; Environmental Medicine -- Periodicals; Environmental health; Medicine, Industrial; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 616.9803
• DOI: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000000802
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1076-2752

Abstract

Abstract : Objective: This study assessed the long-term health impact of environmental exposures associated with open pit burning in deployed US service members. Methods: Two hundred individuals deployed to Balad, Iraq, and Bagram, Afghanistan, with known exposure to open pits, were matched to 200 non-deployed service members. Both cohorts were observed for adverse health outcomes after returning from deployment. Results: Slight increased risks were observed for respiratory diseases in the Bagram cohort (adj RR: 1.259), and for cardiovascular disease in the Balad cohort (adj RR: 1.072), but the findings were not significant. The combined deployed cohort showed lower risks for adverse health outcomes, suggesting a healthy deployer effect. Conclusions: In conclusion, this study did not find significantly increased risks for selected health outcomes after burn pit exposure during deployment among two deployed cohorts compared with a non-deployed cohort.