1 15 2 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Alvin L. Young Collection on Agent Orange Description An account of the resource The Alvin L. Young Collection on Agent Orange comprises 120 linear feet and spans the late 1800s to 2005; however, the bulk of the coverage is from the 1960s to the 1980s and there are many undated items. The collection was donated to Special Collections of the National Agricultural Library in 1985 by Dr. Alvin L. Young (1942- ). Dr. Young developed the collection as he conducted extensive research on the military defoliant Agent Orange. The collection is in good condition and includes letters, memoranda, books, reports, press releases, journal and newspaper clippings, field logs and notebooks, newsletters, maps, booklets and pamphlets, photographs, memorabilia, and audiotapes of an interview with Dr. Young. For more about this collection, <a href="/exhibits/speccoll/exhibits/show/alvin-l--young-collection-on-a">view the Agent Orange Exhibit.</a> Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Box The box containing the original item. 086 Folder The folder containing the original item. 2162 Series The series number of the original item. Series IV Subseries I Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Patterson, Donald G. Richard E. Hoffman Larry L. Needham Daryl W. Roberts John R. Bagby James L. Pirkle Henry Falk Eric J. Sampson Vernon N. Houk Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived JAMA Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource November 21 1986 Title A name given to the resource 2,3,7,8 - Tetrachlorodibenzo - p - dioxin Levels in Adipose Tissue of Exposed and Control Persons in Missouri: An Interim Report Subject The topic of the resource human testing adipose tissue testing https://www.nal.usda.gov/exhibits/speccoll/files/original/674d80358b71120fe56fe8b7e6fd771d.pdf cefd7b3f6ad234c3f86c4eb1650eeeda PDF Text Text Item ID Number Author 01588 Wolfe ' William H. Corporate Author RODOrt/ArtlClO TitlO Typescript: Serum Dioxin Levels in Air Force Health Study Participants, Preliminary Report Journal/Book Title Year Month/Day A ril 2 Color ^ Numberoflman.es 9 DoSCrlptOll NOtOS See item 1589 for final P ® Wednesday, May 23, 2001 ' published version. Page 1589 of 1608 �APR 2 61988 SERUM DIOXIN LEVELS IN AIR FORCE HEALTH STUDY PARTICIPANTS PRELIMINARY REPORT WILLIAM H. WOLFE, MD, MPH * JOEL E. MICHALEK, PhD * JUDSON C. MINER, DVM, MPH * DONALD G. PATTERSON, PhD + LARRY L. NEEDHAM, PhD + JAMES L. PIRKLE, MD, PhD + EPIDEMIOLOGY DIVISION USAF SCHOOL OF AEROSPACE MEDICINE HUMAN SYSTEMS DIVISION AIR FORCE SYSTEMS COMMAND BROOKS AFB, TX 78235 DIVISION OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH LABORATORY SCIENCE CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL ATLANTA GA, 30333 This document will be submitted -for publication in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. �2 61S88 Serum Dioxin Levels in Air Force Health Study Participants - Preliminary Report In 1978 the United States Air Force responded to a Congressional mandate to initiate an epidemiologic study of the possible health effects of exposure to herbicides and their 2,3,7,8 - tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (referred to as dioxin in this article) contaminants in Air Force veterans who served in the Ranch Hand defoliation operation during the Vietnam conflict. Accordingly, the Air Force developed a protocol for a nonconcurrent prospective study (the Air Force Health Study) of all 1267 members of the Ranch Hand unit and a series of matched Comparisons (1). The Comparisons were selected from the population of Air Force veterans who served in air cargo units stationed in Southeast Asia during the same period as the Ranch Hand unit and who were individually matched to the Ranch Hands on date of birth, rank (officer, enlisted) and occupation (pilot or copilot officer, officer navigator, nonflying officer, flying enlisted, ground enlisted). The Comparisons were assumed to have not been exposed to herbicides or dioxin during the war. The Ranch Hands and their matched Comparisons have been physically examined in 1982 (2), 1985 (3) and were recently examined in 1987-88. They will be examined again in 1992, 1997 and finally in the concluding year 2002. During 1986, CDC's Division of Environmental Health Laboratory Sciences, Center for Environmental Health and Injury Control, developed a method for measuring dioxin in human serum (H). The measurement, which is based on lipid weight, is highly correlated with paired measurements of dioxin in adipose tissue (r-0.98) ( ) 5. The application of this measurement to members of the CDC Agent Orange Exposure Study has been reported ( ) 6. �This serum dloxin measurement is the basis for the pilot study of Air Force Health Study participants reported here. This pilot study was designed to assess dioxin half-life in Ranch Hand veterans and the validity of the Air Force study design. Air Force Health Study participants Invited to participate in this study were enlisU'ed ground crew who served during 1968-69, who held the rank of Staff Sergeant or below, and, if a Ranch Hand, had a herbicide loader or herbicide specialist occupation during their tour. The study goal was to obtain a serum dioxin measurement on 200 such participants, 150 Ranch Hands and 50 Comparisons. Two hundred study subjects satisfying these criteria were identified to CDC for a blood draw during February and March 1987. Shortly after CDC began the scheduling, 61 additional subjects were identified for possible scheduling to assure that the goal of 200 assays would be met. Compliance to the draw was high with 90$ of those called consenting to visit one of four regional Red Cross Centers. Two hundred and thirty-one of these 261 subjects were called; 207 of the 231 consented to participate in this study. For a variety of reasons, seven of the 207 were unable to visit the centers. Of the 200 for which serum was obtained, 150 were Ranch Hands and 50 were Comparisons. Of the 150 Ranch Hand specimens, 117 results were quantifiable while 19 quantifiable results were obtained from the 50 Comparison speciments. Four of the specimens were indeterminant due to a failure to meet one or more of the quality control criteria (H) and an insufficient quantity of serum for a repeat analysis. The blood was drawn at each clinic according to a standardized protocol. The numbers of Ranch Hands drawn at the 1 Red Cross Centers namely, Atlanta, Cleveland, Los Angeles and Tulsa, were 43, 39, �37 and 31; the corresponding counts Tor the Comparisons were 19t 7, 10 and 14. Table 1 shows selected characteristics of the participants by group (Ranch Hand, Comparison). TABLE 1. Selected characteristics of Air Force Health Study participants in the pilot study by group. Ranch Hand (n-150) Comparison (n-50) Demographic characteristics Age (mean) Race (black) 46 5% 49 6% Mean tour length (months) in Southeast Asia 12 25* 93% 15$ 5% 8% 4* 4$ 51 % 11 B0% 29 21 % 37% 12 16% 30 22% Self reported herbicide exposure** Military Leisure Civilian occupation Health characteristics Current Smoking Current Alcohol Percent Smoking (cigarette) history (pack yrs) Alcohol use history (drink yrs) body fat (mean) Comparisons were based outside of Vietnam and had tours of 2 to 3 years. **From questionnaire The dioxin distributions of the 147 Ranch Hands and 49 Comparisons having quantifiable assay results are shown in Figure 1. Thirty eight percent of the assayed Ranch Hands and 98% of the assayed Comparisons had dioxin levels (based on llpid weight) below 20 parts per trillion (ppt), which Is considered the upper limit for residents of the United States without known dioxin exposure �( ) Additionally, 21.1* of the Ranch Hands and 98% of the Comparisons had 7. dioxin levels at or below 10 ppt. There Is a statistically significant difference between the two groups (x2 test, p<0.0001). Figure 1. Serum dioxin levels of Ranch Hand and Comparison ground crew participating in the Air Force dioxin pilot study, 1987. (INSERT FIGURE 1 HERE) The single Comparison having a level of 21.3 ppt reported exposure to industrial chemicals since 1980 in a steel foundry in Indiana. Summary statistics of current dioxin levels by group are shown in Table 2. Table 2. Summary statistics of current dioxin levels by group. Ranch Hand (n-147) Dioxin level Mean (ppt) Median (ppt) Mode (ppt) Minimum (ppt) Maximum (ppt) Standard deviation . Comparison (n-49) Comparison excluding 21.3 ppt level (n-48) 49.4 26.5 9.8 3-2 5.2 4.7 2.4 2.0 1.8 4.6 2.4 2.0 313 21.3 9.7 56.0 3.0 1.8 The distribution of dioxin levels for Ranch Hands suggests that some Ranch Hands and one Comparison have had unusually heavy dioxin exposure. The serum dioxin measurement quantifies actual dioxin body burden and therefore provides a direct assessment of exposure. No threshhold level has been determined as yet for the health effects of dioxin in humans. A full report will be published after dioxin measurements have been completed for all Air Force Health Study participants and after the report has been reviewed by the Agent Orange Working Group of the Domestic Policy Council (Executive Branch). �Sera drawn in 1982 on thirty-six of the Ranch Hands having 1987 dioxin levels above 10 ppt were assayed to allow estimation of dioxin half life in humans as approximately 7 years ( ) 8. These developments suggest that only about 2 to 1 dioxin half lives have elapsed since potential Ranch Hand exposure in Vietnam and that serum dioxin can serve as a biological marker for previous dioxin exposure in Air Force Health Study participants. The results of the half life study will be reported in a separate publication. A procedure for measuring dioxin in serum is available and these measured levels can be directly correlated to those in adipose tissue. However, the assay is extremely expensive and the entire procedure, including sample procurement, should be done only under the laboratory protocol. References 1. Lathrop GD, Wolfe WH, Albanese R and Moynahan P. A nonconcurrent prospective study of possible health effects in Air Force veterans exposed to herbicides-Protocol. National Technical Information Service (AD A 122 250) 1982. 2. Lathrop GD, Wolfe WH, Albanese R and Moynahan P. A nonconcurrent prospective study of possible health effects in Air Force veterans exposed to herbicides. Baseline report. National Technical Information Service (AD A 138 3^0) 1981. 3. Lathrop GD, Machado SG, Karrison TG, Grubbs WD, Thomas WF, Wolfe WH, Michalek JE, Miner JC, and Peterson MR. (1987). The Air Force Health Study. An epidemiologic Investigation of Health Effects in Air Force personnel following exposure to herbicides. Final report. National Technical Information Services (AD A 188 262) 1987. 4. Patterson DC Jr, Hampton L, Lapeza CR Jr, Belser WT, Green V, Alexander L and Needham L. High-Resolution gas chromatographic/high-resolution mass spectrometric analysis of human serum on a whole-weight and lipid basis for 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin. Anal Chem 1987;59:2000-5. 5. Patterson DC Jr, Needham LL, Pirkle JL, et al. Correlation between serum and adipose tissue levels of 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin in 50 persons from Missouri, Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 1988;17:139-^3. 6. CDC. Serum dioxin in Vietnam-era veterans - preliminary report. 1987; 36 ( 8 : 1470-5 2) MMWR �7. Byard JL. lexicological Significance of 2,3t7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin and related compounds in human adipose tissue. J. Toxicol. Environ. Health 1987;22:381-1<03. 8. Pirkle JL, Wolfe WH, Patterson DC Jr, et al. Estimates of the Half-life of 2,3.7,88-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin in Ranch Hand veterans. Presented at Dioxin 87, Las Vegas, NV, October 1-9, 1987. �Serum dioxin levels of Ranch Hand ground crew participating in the Air Force dioxin pilot study (n-147^ 201 -r 19- / 18- /, r7\ 171615- ', /, 14' / / 13- / / 12- / / 11- / / 10- / / 9' '/ '/ 8' / / 76' 54 3 2 1 '/ P E R C E N T ^ / // / / / / / / / -7 7 / ', \ y^ '/ ' / /*~/ ^*~" s X / s 'j / // /s . i— - t 7^ X / / 7^ / - > 7^ /S / / / j-- ,^._ u 7^ / / / / XiTipn / Xpn / [7i PI 7^ {7i / .-^-^ pH I/I 5 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 dioxin levels (Darts Der trillion) �Serum dioxin levels of Comparison ground crew participating in the Air Force dioxin pilot study (n=49) 1001 90 80* 70' p E R C E N T 60' 50 40 30 20 10 0 5 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 555555555012345678901234567890 555555555555555555555 dioxin levels (oaris oer trillion) � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Alvin L. Young Collection on Agent Orange Description An account of the resource The Alvin L. Young Collection on Agent Orange comprises 120 linear feet and spans the late 1800s to 2005; however, the bulk of the coverage is from the 1960s to the 1980s and there are many undated items. The collection was donated to Special Collections of the National Agricultural Library in 1985 by Dr. Alvin L. Young (1942- ). Dr. Young developed the collection as he conducted extensive research on the military defoliant Agent Orange. The collection is in good condition and includes letters, memoranda, books, reports, press releases, journal and newspaper clippings, field logs and notebooks, newsletters, maps, booklets and pamphlets, photographs, memorabilia, and audiotapes of an interview with Dr. Young. For more about this collection, <a href="/exhibits/speccoll/exhibits/show/alvin-l--young-collection-on-a">view the Agent Orange Exhibit.</a> Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Box The box containing the original item. 059 Folder The folder containing the original item. 1588 Series The series number of the original item. Series III Subseries III Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Wolfe, William H. Joel E. Michalek Judson C. Miner Donald G. Patterson Larry L. Needham James L. Pirkle Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource April 26 1988 Title A name given to the resource Typescript: Serum Dioxin Levels in Air Force Health Study Participants, Preliminary Report Subject The topic of the resource Air Force Health Study CDC ao_seriesIII