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7 Synthesis and Conclusions
Pages 109-116

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From page 109...
... Those processes draw on several information sources, such as air monitoring data from JBB, results of health-effects studies in military reports, and results of health-effects studies of related exposure scenarios in the medical and scientific literature, including literature on health effects associated with combustion products individually and in the aggregate. Although those sources yielded substantial amounts of information, the available database is marked by numerous data gaps and uncertainties that point to the need for additional studies and analysis, particularly an epidemiologic study of populations exposed to burn pit emissions.
From page 110...
... The data thus indicate that military personnel were exposed to a mixture of combustion products from the burn pit and to other air pollutants from local and regional sources, including other combustion sources, industry, and wind-blown soil. It is likely that people who worked at or near burn pits were exposed to combustion emissions and
From page 111...
... Those studies did not yield conclusive results about long-term health effects associated with exposure to combustion products in the populations studied, but several health outcomes deserve further investigation. Respira tory outcomes should be assessed further because such air pollutants as PM, which are generally present in burn pit emissions, are known to have respiratory effects.
From page 112...
... The major limitations that the committee found in characterizing the waste stream at JBB and in the air monitoring data collected there and in assessing exposure and likely health effects of exposure to the burn pit emissions are given in Box 7-1. Although air monitoring was conducted twice at JBB in 2007 and once in 2009, the locations of the sampling sites were not optimal for determining ambient concentrations of the air pollutants to which residents of the base might be exposed, and did not target smoke episodes.
From page 113...
... o No monitoring conducted close to burn pit, so no direct sampling of burn pit emissions o Lack of simultaneous sampling at all sites o Lack of coordination between emissions and burn pit activities, particularly for smoke events • Exposure information o Lack of information on personnel at JBB (such as how many people worked in or near the pits, for how long, and how frequently) o o characterization of where people lived, ate, and worked N o ighly variable characterization of how long people were at JBB H o Other sources of exposure to air pollutants (such as from kerosene heaters, cooking appliances, and airport activities)
From page 114...
... Although there was a wealth of epidemiologic information on health outcomes seen in firefighters, it was unclear how applicable it was to the military personnel at JBB and other military bases that had burn pits. The committee considered the risk potential for long-term health outcomes associated with combustion products in those surrogate populations and found limited or suggestive evidence of an association only for decreased pulmonary function in firefighters.
From page 115...
... 2011. Exposure to toxins produced by burn pits: Congressional data request and studies.


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