Chemical exposure guidelines for deployed military personnel

In light of the absence of guidelines and standards applicable to deployed military personnel, the U.S. Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine (USACHPPM) has completed Technical Guide 230A, Short-term Chemical Exposure Guidelines for Deployed Military Personnel. This guide provides estimated concentration levels associated with various types of effects for short-term exposures from 1 hour up to 2 weeks. A second TG (TG230B, Long-term Chemical Exposure Guidelines for Deployed Military Personnel) is being developed to address potentially longer deployment related exposures (i.e. greater than 2 weeks up to 1 year). This article focuses on TG230A which describes varying severity levels and health effects associated with short-term chemical exposures in a format consistent with the existing doctrinal military risk management paradigm. It is a consolidated reference tool for trained military medical staff to evaluate different chemical hazards, and will ensure more expedient risk management decisions during deployments. The TG also establishes the standard reference for pre- and post-deployment evaluations and risk management decisions, including determinations of resource requirements and equipment specifications.