Self-Reported Respiratory Health Effects Following CS Riot Control Agent Exposure in Army Officer Trainees
Abstract
The riot control agent (RCA) o-chlorobenzylidene malononitrile (CS) is used to facilitate a realistic training environment as part of a military training task known as mask confidence training (MCT) in which soldiers enter an enclosed structure containing a concentration of CS, perform a variety of tasks, and ultimately remove masks prior to exiting the chamber. The CS causes immediate but transient ocular, respiratory, and dermal irritation. This research prospectively studied the association between post-MCT symptoms of self-reported acute respiratory illness and CS exposure among a cohort of74 officer trainees enrolled in a U.S. Army Basic Officer Leadership Course (BOLC) held June 12th through July 25th, 2015. Developing new-onset symptoms of acute respiratory illness during the week following MCT was dependent on exposure levels above 1.5 times the Immediately Dangerous to Life and Health (IDLH) concentration(3.00 mg/m3) which was also associated with three excess cases of acute respiratory illness symptoms per 25 participants compared with exposure below 3.00 mg/m3.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 20, 2016
- Accession Number
- AD1036779
Entities
People
- Matthew J. Holuta
Organizations
- Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences