A Preliminary Analysis of Noise Exposure and Medical Outcomes for Department of Defense Military Musicians.

Noise exposure is a known occupational health hazard to those serving in the military. Previous military epidemiology studies have identified military occupations at risk of noise induced hearing loss (NIHL); however, musicians have not been specifically mentioned. The focus of military NIHL studies is usually on those service members of the combat arms occupations.

Using the Army Medical Cost Avoidance Model to prioritize preventive medicine initiatives.

The MCAM's ICD-9 Analysis Tool provides preventive medicine program developers with a powerful tool to demonstrate ROI. Previously disjointed cost components have been brought together in the MCAM to calculate the total medical cost avoided. Users are required to make 4 data entries.

The health hazard assessment process in support of joint weapon system acquisitions.

Since 1981, the Army's HHA Program has provided an invaluable service to combat developers and materiel program managers by providing recommendations designed to eliminate or control health hazards associated with materiel and weapon systems. The program has consistently strived to improve its services by providing more meaningful and efficient assistance to the acquisition community. In the uncertain fiscal times ahead, the Army's HHA Program will continue to provide valuable and cost-effective solutions to mitigate the health risks of weapons systems.

Effectiveness, suitability, and performance testing of the SKC Deployable Particulate Sampler (DPS) as compared to the currently deployed Airmetrics MiniVol portable air sampler.

Epidemiological studies have linked particulate matter (PM) exposure to morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular and respiratory disease. In order to monitor and assess the potential PM health risk to deployed military personnel, the U.S.

The army health hazard assessment program's medical cost-avoidance model.

Background: The Logistics Management Institute initially developed a medical cost-avoidance model (MCAM) to estimate the costs associated with the failure to eliminate or control health hazards of army materiel systems during 1997.

Methods: Presented is an updated version of the MCAM that uses cost factors for individual health hazard categories. The earlier MCAM calculated army materiel acquisition-life cycle medical costs based on a single cost factor for all hazard categories.

Liberation of hydrogen cyanide and hydrogen chloride during high-temperature dispersion of CS riot control agent.

High temperature dispersion (greater than 700 degrees C) of the riot control agent orthochlorobenzylidenemalononitrile (CS) has previously been shown to produce a number of organic thermal degradation products through rearrangements and loss of cyano and chlorine substituents present on the parent CS compound. Until now the possibility that HCN and HCl might also be air contaminants produced during high temperature CS dispersion has not been examined. Air samples were collected to detect HCN and HCl as air contaminants released during high-temperature CS dispersion indoors.

Traditional sampling with laboratory analysis and solid phase microextraction sampling with field gas chromatography/mass spectrometry by military industrial hygienists.

The opinions or assertions contained herein are the private ones of the authors and are not to be construed as official or reflecting the views of the United States Department of Defense or the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. Rapid on-site detection and identification of environmental contaminants to which personnel may be exposed is often needed during military deployment situations. The availability of military industrial hygienists with capabilities for "complete" on-site exposure assessment of chemical species should allow detection and identification of a number of important stressors almost immediately following sample collection.

Formation of 2-chlorobenzylidenemalononitrile (CS riot control agent) thermal degradation products at elevated temperatures.

2-Chlorobenzylidenemalononitrile (CS riot control agent) has been shown to produce a number of thermal degradation products when dispersed at high temperature. We hypothesized that these CS-derived compounds are formed by energy input from heating during the dispersion process. Here we identified organic CS-derived compounds formed from purified CS subjected to temperatures ranging from 300 to 900 degrees C in an inert atmosphere with analysis of tube furnace effluent by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry.