Could DDT cause Lung Disease?

[dumpton]

I went into the last of the National Service Army, and in 1961 found myself in the British Southern Cameroons, West Africa, as part of a civil support force during a plebiscite to gain independence. We were 1100 men crowded into a 13,000 ton troop ship, there and back, and hygiene was poor! My platoon was under canvass in a swamp, but we all soon had lice, and were issued with DDT powder, which we used like talcum powder, scattering it in our bedding, 'mosie' nets, clothing and all over ourselves after a shower! We almost certainly inhaled it, so could this have damaged our lungs?

[Katinka46]

I think that is a distinct possibility. Can you investigate further?

K

[dumpton in reply to Katinka46]

Not sure how I would investigate further! I did mention it to my Respiratory Consultant, but she seemed non committal! I suppose it could be that DDT damaged my lungs, but as its incurable she may have felt there isn't much she could do, except try and manage it. At my age now I am not interested in compensation, so I will just probably have to mark it up to the fact we pretty much expendable in those days! Any ideas from others may be helpful.

[2greys]

I'm afraid it does seem so:

err.ersjournals.com/content...

[dumpton in reply to 2greys]

It would be difficult to prove I suppose, because later I returned to college as a mature student, and ended up as a government engineer on nuclear power stations in the 70's, where airborne radioactive contamination was prevalent! We didn't have face masks, as it was thought they may cause alarm among the public, although we had protective overalls, which were radioactive even after they had come out of the on site laundry! My Consultant has had me checked for radioactive isotopes in my blood, which was found to be negative, so thats all right then! Ditto with asbestos which was used building the Isle of Grain power station, when I was an assistant civil engineer there in the early 70's, although there was a six month strike by the laggers to have it stopped, which it was eventually!

[O2Trees]

Like talcum powder, yes!! One summer we had an infestation of fleas from our cat - way back, this was in my 20s, so during the 60s like you dumpton. After several attempts at getting rid of them including a council visit, I found 3 on my leg after a bath and sprinkled flea powder liberally over my bed. Woke up with dreadful sore throat, cough and breathing problems, and that was the start of my lung disease career - at that time an asthma diagnosis which has stayed the course to be joined later by other diagnoses.

We need to be so careful with chemicals but nothing to be done for those like you who were exposed to them so long ago.

Isnt DDT banned now?

[Ergendl in reply to O2Trees]

Yes, it is in the UK. When I found some in my late father's house in 2005, I had to make a special appointment to take it to the local refuse site for safe disposal, with some creosote and a couple of other mysterious bottles of questionable liquid and powder.

In the 1990s my car accidentally got sprinkled with DDT when a neighbour effectively but without my permission used it to kill a wasp nest in the walls of my country cottage, and the car paint was permanently marked with darker spots where the chemical had fallen. If it can do that to car paint, what can it do to delicate lung tissue?

[O2Trees in reply to Ergendl]

Indeed

[googeymac1]

is that the same as what the army called delousing powder, sometime's you put it on your blanket's and shook it off, ive got copd, and was in the reg's and reserve's, and done chemical and biological warfare training ive alway's wondered if that could of caused a part of my condition

[dumpton in reply to googeymac1]

It sounds like it! Delousing lice using DDT must have been pretty well ubiquitous up until it was banned, probably in the 80's! At one time we were issued with experimental aerosol cans, which we had never seen before, the cans didn't have any names on them but were painted khaki drab, and were laughable as we were being eaten alive by mosquito's, and spraying them was a useless exercise! They could have been some sort of early Fly Spray, so its anyone's guess what they contained, probably a nerve agent! We did find out that though, if you sprayed your own armpits, genitals etc, it killed the Crabs, although it wasn't a pleasant experience!

[Izb1]

Hi dumpton,

Interesting article in http/medicalexpress.com cell damage caused by ddt, this may give you some hope. Irene x

[HungryHufflepuff]

A little while ago I borrowed a book about caring for sheep from the library and just about every solution to any problem seemed to involve covering the sheep with DDT. When I returned the book I should have said that their books are a bit out of date! DDT seems to have been used for just about everything in the past. It’s still manufactured and used in some countries.