Environmental Toxicity & Human Health Risk

[Don Zweifel <zweifel@chapman.edu>]

A cursory synopsis follows.

One of Masters' more substantive suppositions is that when youthful
receptors with dietary insufficiencies and/or poor hygiene ingested and
absorbed neurotoxic metals into the cerebral cortex and elsewhere, the
resultant effect appeared to create a disturbance in normal brain
development and significant neurotransmitter cortical anamolies.

His hypothesis essentially postulates that environmental pollution, when
interfaced with poverty and especially chemical substance abuse plus the
societal stress this entails, places these receptors at risk due to the
subclinical toxicity factor. 

This detrimental fallout lends itself to the impression that it leads to a
loss of impulse control or an intrinsic manifestation of unfettered
impulsivity. Which therefore is causative of an exponential increase in
violent criminal or deviate psychopathological behaviour patterns. In
other words it ain't good.

Analysis as it may relate to military installations.

It's truly unfortunate that some military facilities across the nation
ostensibly have more than their fair share of familial child and spousal
abuse incidents plus chemical substance abusers. Many families of enlisted
personnel (especially E-5 [Sgt.] and below) are struggling desperately
due to poor pay allowances. This situation engenders poverty and is
conducive to all of the above factors. 

Based on information EPA has gleaned, "Of the 34 percent of over 9,000
DoD sites that need remediation, toxic metals have been found at over 65
percent of these" (see EPA document 542-R-96-005A).

It is not beyond the realm of possibility that the above mentioned
families have been adversely exposed and affected by these harmful
substances since they live in relatively close proximity to them.

As one can see, dietary deficiencies, and of course poor hygiene, creates
an ideal conduit which greatly augments exposure and receptivity to
toxicological substances in the soil and drinking water on-base and often
beyond the primary area of concern (AOC) into the surrounding communities.

Therefore it is most likely that EPA's toxic release criteria, as it
pertains to human health may need to be reevaluated due to these
remarkable findings.

Masters specifically alludes to manganese and lead as being some of the
most notorious neurotoxins. He also stipulates that alcoholism is
demonstrative of the enhancement of the effects of neurotoxicity and are
also significant precursors of violent psychopathological behaviour.

Masters realizes that he may be tarred with the reductionist brush, but do
believe his contentions are based on sound deductive reasoning rather than
the obverse. 

Please see his study on brain biochemistry, neurotoxicity and criminal
violence as it relates to environmental contamination.

Prof. Roger Masters may be reached at Dartmouth College if need be.

Any comment in opposition or in concurrence via this military 
environmental newsgroup would be appreciated.

Don Zweifel

P.S.: Masters' email address is <roger.d.masters@dartmouth.edu>

More later