Toxicologic Assessment of the Army's Zinc Cadmium Sulfide Dispersion Tests Answers to Commonly Asked Questions (1997) / Chapter Skim
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ANSWERS TO COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS
ANSWERS TO COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Pages 1-15
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Army sponsored a variety of tests during the 19SOs and 1960s to understand how biologic weapons disperse in various environments. As part of the tests, the Army released particles of zinc cadmium sulfide from airplanes, rooftops, and moving vehicles in 33 locations, mostly cities and towns, in the United States and Canada.
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The subcommittee has prepared this short summary report and a detailed technical report entitled Toxicologic Assessment of the Army's Zinc Cadmium Sulfide Dispersion Tests, which evaluate s whether exposure to zinc cadmium sulfide caused adverse health effects in exposed people. This summary report was prepared to give information to concerned citizens about zinc cadmium sulfide, especially about the human health effects that might result from exposure to it.
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2. Toxicity and exposure data on zinc cadmium sulfide, cadmium, and cadmium compounds from the open scientific literature and other technical reports.
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They wished to ensure that testing without the informed consent of the Several people stated that an open, thorough examination of the issues could help to restore confidence in the government. Many people attributed illnesses to the resulting exposures to zinc cadmium sulfide, including cancer, reproductive disorders, birth defects, lung disease, thyroid disorders, immunologic diseases, joint pain, infections, and skin problems.
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Open Scientific Literature and Other Technical Reports The subcommittee was provided with the current Army files relevant to the zinc cadmium sulfide dispersion tests. The Army informed the subcommittee in a letter (see Appendix C of the subcommittee's technical report)
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The fused compound is an alloy that does not contain pure zinc sulfide or cadmium sulfide, because the fusing process is highly efficient. Zinc cadmium sulfide was the compound that was dispersed over Minneapolis, Fort Wayne, Corpus Christi, and many other locations in the United States and Canada to obtain information that the Army used to estimate the potential dispersion of biologic weapons in various environments and to determine the quantity required for the strategic use of biologic weapons.
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As a result of the Army's dispersion tests, you might have had contact by breathing air, by eating food, by drinking water containing zinc cadmium sulfide, or by skin contact.
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Because cadmium represents 15.6% of zinc cadmium sulfide by weight, multiplication of the potential zinc cadmium sulfide doses by 0.156 yields the corresponding cadmium doses from the Army's tests. Thus, the corresponding highest estimated potential cadmium doses were 6.8 ,ug, 14.5 ,ug, 24.4 ,ug, and 390 ,ug, respectively.
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There is little information on the toxicity of zinc cadmium sulfide in experimental animals. We do know Hat animals that were fed massive amounts of zinc cadmium sulfide one time did not show any ill health effects.
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The subcommittee concluded that the amounts of cadmium from the zinc cadmium sulfide used in the Army's dispersion tests were well below the amounts at which toxic effects occur. For most of the people living in the most heavily exposed populated area St.
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On the basis of the available data, if people, including sensitive people, swallow zinc cadmium sulfide, it will most likely pass through their bodies and be excreted in their feces. Like other dust particles in air, particles of zinc cadmium sulfide are likely to deposit in the lungs of all individuals, including sensitive people, if they breathe air contaminated with it.
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The subcommittee did not identify any information showing that exposure to zinc cadmium sulfide could have caused adverse health effects in the children of exposed people. The subcommittee's review of available developmental toxicity data on cadmium (the most toxic component of zinc cadmium sulfide)
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Even if the exposed people could be identified, even a large ep~clem~o~og~c study would not be able to distinguish the health effects of zinc cadmium sulfide from those associated with other factors, such as breathing cadmium in typical urban air for a few weeks.
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Appendix C contains correspondence between the Army and the National Research Council about the declassification of all relevant data on the zinc cadmium sulfide tests. Appendix D discusses the toxic interaction of zinc and cadmium.
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Environmental Protection Agency, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry on the Army's risk-assessment reports. Appendix ~ contains the cadmium exposure assessment.
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