Influential Studies concerning contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina

Below you will find a nice selection of influential studies of the contaminated water at United States Camp Lejeune, Marine Base in North Carolina. These studies all pertain to the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022. These Camp Lejeune studies were conducted by top experts over many years. The studies show that toxins in the ground, such as Benzene, Vinyl Chloride, PCE and TCE, contaminated the drinking and bathing water at the marine base from 1953 to 1988. This toxic water at Camp Lejeune caused Parkinson’s disease as well as numerous types of cancer. Tragically, millions of veterans, veteran’s families and workers at the base were exposed to the water. Hundreds of thousands of victims suffered many harms and diseases, such as cancer and Parkinson’s disease as a result of drinking the water and bathing in it. For the latest news and updates visit: here.

This rate of disease study determined that toxic drinking water at Camp Lejeune was linked to a greater likelihood that both Marines and civilian employees would suffer from bladder cancer, kidney cancer, and kidney disease. The study was premised by lots of evidence and relied on other studies. The study results show the association between the chemicals in the Camp Lejeune drinking water and the above-mentioned diseases. This was a very limited study because of selection bias and response rate. ATSDR is engaged in further research of the Camp Lejeune victims, using data from cancer studies to look into cancer incidence.

camp-lejeune-index
Camp Lejeune studies of Water contamination

This is a nice table of certain diseases caused by the toxic Camp Lejeune water and the list provides an assessment “of the evidence of causality for each chemical.” Additionally, there is a table for each listed disease followed with a narrative that assesses the evidence for each chemical as well as ATSDR’s conclusions. For example:

Conditions and Contaminant Findings

Evidence for Causality of Contaminants
Condition Contaminant Findings
Kidney Cancer TCE Sufficient evidence for causation
Kidney Cancer PCE Below equipoise evidence for causation
Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma TCE Sufficient evidence for causation
Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma PCE Equipoise and above evidence for causation
Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Benzene Sufficient evidence for causation
Multiple Myeloma TCE Equipoise and above evidence for causation
Multiple Myeloma PCE Below equipoise evidence for causation
Multiple Myeloma Benzene Equipoise and above evidence for causation
Leukemias TCE Equipoise and above evidence for causation for all types of leukemia
Leukemias PCE Below equipoise evidence for causation
Leukemias Benzene Sufficient evidence for causation for all types of leukemia
Leukemias Vinyl chloride Below equipoise evidence for causation

ATSDR determined that a death study and a cancer study are possible. Department of Defense personnel data could identify Marines who are active duty, naval personnel and civilian employees stationed at the Camp Lejeune military base during the time period when the Hadnot Point and Tarawa Terrace drinking water distribution systems were polluted with volatile organic compounds. ATSDR determined that it is possible to be inclusive in the cancer study of people who were involved in in the ATSDR 1999–2002 study. Also, it is possible to include those participants who will be involved in the Navy/Marine Corps- mandated by congress- health survey, which was set in 2009.

Two-thirds (2 of 3) drinking-water distribution systems which provided water to family housing at U.S. Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune were polluted by VOCs. Unfortunately, Groundwater was the only source of drinking water supply to the marine base at Camp Lejeune. Tarawa Terrace drinking-water system, was primarily polluted with the toxin tetrachloroethylene (aka pce) This occurred because the water-supply wells were polluted by an off-base dry-cleaning operations known as the infamous ABC One-Hour Cleaners. The second water distribution system, the Hadnot Point drinking-water distribution system, was contaminated primarily with TCE from on the base industrial operations. Sadly, the toxic wells were non stop utilized until 1985. Occasionally, they were utilized until the beginning of 1987. This study will evaluate if a significant connection exists “between in utero and infant (up to 1 year of age) exposures to drinking-water contaminants and specific birth defects and childhood cancers.” This evaluation “includes births occurring during 1968–1985 to mothers who lived in base family housing during their pregnancies.”