Dear Editor:

Symptoms of Gulf War Syndrome seem the same as those of  Exxon Valdez oil spill cleanup workers

The 'stealth killer' in the United States - maybe the world today - is a chemical component in many products, 2-butoxyethanol.   It was the component of Inipol EAP 22 experimented with during the Exxon Valdez oil spill cleanup.   (51)

Many workers that weren't even 'Bioremediation' workers were harmed.
How they feel:  www.valdezlink.com/feel_print.htm   Sad thing, doctors can't  find the acquired hemolytic anemia they would all have to have.   Some doctors treat them as the Gulf War Syndrome vets are treated  ("Oh, you're making this up!")  But, no, they are telling the truth.                                         (52)


Turns out that the Dept of Defense purchased Exxon's experimental
Corexit that has 38% 2-butoxyethanol (NOT SAFE) and some ethylene oxide, which causes lungs to fill up with fluid.   All sources of 2-butoxyethanol and diethylene glycol monobutyl ether should be inventoried, and exposure of today's troops limited, or we will see another outbreak of  "Gulf War Syndrome!"  Just cleaning their guns DAILY is too much exposure to this chemical!    (69)

Maybe if someone cared about what happened to the Exxon Valdez oil spill  workers and held Exxon accountable as ENRON and WORLD dot COM are... there never would have been a GULF WAR Syndrome in the first place; and military in Iraq today wouldn't be having their lungs fill up with fluid, either.  (53)

That's my theory.  And it makes good sense.  When you print obituaries
for someone who died of leukemia or heart attack maybe you should state
whether or not they worked on the Exxon Valdez oil spill cleanup or were a Gulf
War Vet                        (43)

(Lots more than this, though  *  *  * )  more symptoms  *


M. Diann Hursh

PO Box 233, Valdez, AK 99686 (Alaska) To Mother Margaret 

1-888-853-5333

e-mail

To Be published in Kenny Lake, Alaska newspaper 12-17-03  268 words

Copper Valley bi-Weekly, editor Sam Lightwood

12-14-03

Maybe we need a "Dear Maggie" column - you want my info?  Public is going to get a little tired of Letter to the Editor

 

The USA is ignorant about reproductive and cancer caused by this chemical,  (or are they?)

whereas the World Health Organization can tell us a thing or two 

 www.valdezlink.com/solvent_studies.htm

 

I do recognize the symptoms             Intro

 

Cardiac complications (cardiomyopathy in rare instances; other heart problems)

Visual changes (dry eyes; tearing; loss of vision; other more serious conditions)

Migraines/headaches (continued - or developed for first time in some)

GI problems (continued in many or developed, such as acid reflux disease; trouble swallowing; esophagus problems, etc.)

Hearing changes (reported by some, such as tinnitus or ear ringing)
 
Eye damage (even blindness) are part of the 2-b symptoms BIG time.  Not too much emphasized by the dr.
 
Neurological problems (numbness; tingling; burning sensations; shock-like sensations; headaches)

Depression and/or anxiety (caused by having a chronic illness, though some may have had pre-existing conditions)

 

Also DEPRESSION is big time for our group, not just minor.

There are suicidal tendencies, too.  I wrote up some thoughts on it:  www.valdezlink.com/feel_print.htm
 
I think the reason they keep commenting ... organophosphate as part of it, is because our country must have studied that chemical. It is expected to be harmful.   They will say on a bottle of DAWN for instance, no phosphates  (Like everything else was safe/not so)
 
Now, have they tested the groups' blood for residual phosphates?  The accu-chem lab is very accurate about such things;  generally, however, doctors don't do that kind of testing.
 
2-butoxyethanol is not in the phosphate group 
 
2-butoxyethanol is listed with DEET and other pesticides.
 
Weight changes (gain followed by loss; or just loss; or perhaps just gain)
 

The weight variations (that would be common for pesticides as they disrupt the endocrine system, and the metabolism is regulated by ?  pituitary or hypothalamus?)  Headaches are big time, too ... especially at the area of the back of the head:  stabbing sharp pains.  Really horrible from what I can glean.   Noticed an increase in blood sugar?  ... in blood pressure?  www.valdezlink.com/health_changes.htm  Other examples of endocrine disruption.  http://www.valdelzink.com/complete.htm 

Abnormal Lab Tests (abnormal lab tests in some persons such as: elevated Aldolase; Leukocytosis; elevated Serum IgE; elevated Creatinine Kinase; elevated Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR); abnormal Liver Function tests; possible abnormal Antinuclear Antibody test, in addition to Eosinophil count, etc.)

 

What 2-butoxyethanol does ... abnormal lab results on these

And hemolytic anemia also reflected in these symptoms

 

NOTE:    NO, 2-butoxyethanol is definitely NOT what the gulf war study was on.  It is NOT an organophosphate There is no phosphorus in it.

ORGANOPHOSPHATES

"Organophosphates (OPs) is the currently used generic term that includes all insecticides containing phosphorus. Other names used, but no longer in vogue, are organic phosphates, phosphorus insecticides, nerve gas relatives, and phosphoric acid esters. All organophosphates are derived from one of the phosphorus acids, and as a class are generally the most toxic of all pesticides to vertebrates. Because of the similarity of OP chemical structures to the "nerve gases", their modes of action are also similar."  source

shared by  Margaret Hursh

PO Box 233

Valdez, AK 99686

907-835-5333

 

 

 

www.valdezlink.com/look_further.htm

 

www.valdezlink.com/pass_on.htm  

 

Question of one who develops products for use:

Why are phosphates harmful? You can look at the cleaning compounds and they most always say, NO PHOSPHATES

They must think it was something along those lines that harmed the Gulf War guys (wonder what they'll say when this group of soldiers comes back with 'Gulf War Syndrome?')

From a study:
Nerve Gases
General Characteristics:
Nerve gases include GA (Tabun), GB (Sarin), GD (Soman), VX, and GF
Nerve gases are potent organophosphate compounds that inhibit acetylcholinesterease, causing a cholinergic crisis

OVERVIEW
Organophosphates are extremely toxic chemicals which present with a myriad
of clinical problems all of which may lead to difficulties in determining
management. Much of what is written in textbooks relates to dermal or
occupational exposure to organophosphates. Oral ingestion of
organophosphate concentrates may involve doses 100-1000 fold greater and
requires an entirely different approach to management.

The organophosphate insecticides are an extremely toxic group of compounds
which are rapidly absorbed by the dermal, oral and pulmonary routes.
Following significant exposure symptoms of toxicity generally occur within
4 hours.

The exception to this is extremely lipid soluble organophosphate (eg
fenthion and dichlofenthion) which are rapidly taken into fat stores and
subsequently slowly and intermittently released and metabolised to more
active compounds. In this situation the symptoms of toxicity may not occur
for up to 48 hours and may continue for weeks.

CLINICAL EFFECTS

Three clinical syndromes have been described:
* acute cholinergic symptoms and paralysis (most common)
* subacute proximal weakness (Intermediate Syndrome)
* late axonal degeneration
 

Re: What are phosphates? Why are they suspected of being harmful?

Reply:  Phosphates do not harm people directly. See the MSDS on our website. This is one of our MSDS <http://www.alken-murray.com/062msd.htm> for a phosphate blend for water treatment. This one is even FDA approved for food contact <http://www.alken-murray.com/062msd.htm> Pollution is the ONLY issue health 1 fire 0 reactivity 0, so its actually one of the safest products you can use if you do not flush it to the environment. See section 12 for details. This product is not even considered a CERCLA hazard unless you spill more than 50,000 lbs. of our product in one spot, all at one time. The product is also USDA approved for use in steam that contacts food. Phosphate is common in our diet too, but in small amounts.

For environmental information, see <http://www.alken-murray.com/aquaculture.html>. Read the top article linked on that page, left hand column.

12-14-03