Little is known about what lurks in the ocean’s depths. Even less is known about where the military has dumped weapons of mass destruction in the world’s oceans.

Yes, that is right. Between the years of 1944 to 1970, the Army dumped literally tons of mustard gas, nerve gas, arsenic, and other surplus deadly and toxic chemicals from World War II and Vietnam. From the coast of Alaska to the coast of New Jersey, dumpsites are located around the entire country off the shores of 11 states. No one knows exactly how many exist or where they are located. There are only gross estimations and vague coordinates of some dumpsites. The Army’s documents are incomplete. Years of records are missing or were destroyed “to clear space” at the Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland, a chemical weapons research and testing base.

Decades passed since the dumping started and allegedly ended in the 70’s. In the early 70’s, the Army publicly admitted it dumped some chemical weapons off the coast. Congress banned the practice in 1972. In 1975, the United States signed an International treaty which prohibited the disposal of chemical weapons in the oceans. Only now has the Army admitted to secretly dumping 64 million pounds of nerve and mustard agents into the sea, along with 400,000 chemical filled bombs, land mines, and rockets and more than 500 tons of radioactive waste; all of which was either tossed overboard or packed into the holds of scuttled, or shipwrecked, vessels. Of course, the Army can’t say exactly where they are all dumped. Over 11 states have dumpsites off their coasts. Little, if any, local officials are informed of the dangers lurking in their waters. The Army has done little to monitor the hazardous zones. It has examined only a few of the 26 known dump zones, but not since 1975.

The dumped weapons were deemed as unneeded surplus. They were too hazardous to transport, expensive to store, too dangerous to bury and difficult to destroy.

“The perception at the time was the ocean is vast - it would absorb it,” said Craig Williams, director of the Chemical Weapons Working Group in Kentucky, a grass roots citizens group. “Certainly, it is insane, in retrospect, they would do it.” - dailypress.com

These weapons were dumped before the invention of electronic navigation systems. The locations are based on the words of the ship captains. They wanted to dispose of their cargo quickly and were likely to cut corners in the process.

Chemical weapons dumped at sea might be slowly leaking from the decades of salt water corrosion, resulting in a time-delayed release of the deadly chemicals over the next 100 years with unforeseeable environmental effects. Over the years, more than 200 fishermen have been burned by mustard gas pulled on deck.

“A fisherman in Hawaii was burned in 1976, when he brought up an Army-dumped mortar round full of mustard gas” - dailypress.com

One of the first dump zones created at the end of World War II is also one of the largest. It is located somewhere off the coast of Charleston, S.C. – somewhere. A marine biologist for the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources for almost 40 years said he had no information about any of this. The first documented dump near that state was in ’46. Four railroad cars loaded with mustard gas bombs and mines were tossed over the side of the USS Diamond Head (an ammunition ship). Several months later, about 23 barges full of German-produced nerve gas bombs and U.S. made Lewisite bombs were dumped in the same location. A single barge carried up to 350 tons. In 1944, at least 16,000 mustard-filled 100-pound bombs were unloaded off Hawaii in deep water only 5 miles from the shore. Near Braithwaite, La., several mustard gas bombs fell into the Mississippi River and have never been found. In 1946, a reported 124 leaking German mustard gas bombs were tossed into the Gulf of Mexico off Horn Island in Mississippi from a barge that returned to port only a few hours later. That area is now part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore and is a popular vacation and fishing destination. A 1947 dumpsite in the Aleutian Islands in Alaska is only 12 miles from a harbor.

By the 1950’s, the Army moved much of its dumping operations to the Virginia-Maryland state line and into deeper water. In 1957, 48 tons of Lewisite was dumped by the Army off Virginia Beach in 12,600 feet of water. Four more dumpsites were created more than 100 miles off the coast. Dumped there were 77,000 mustard filled mortar shells, 5,000 white phosphorus munitions, 1,500 1-ton canisters of Lewisite and 800 55-gallon barrels of military radioactive waste (the type of radioactive waste has yet to be determined).

In the 1960’s, chemical disposal operations continued in the Atlantic Ocean. Two ships full of the most potent of all nerve gases, VX, were sunk in 6,000 feet of water- just miles off the coast of Atlantic City. This was part of “Operation CHASE”, Pentagon shorthand for “Cut Holes and Sink ‘Em.” The nerve gas was in rockets encased in concrete before the ships were sunk. The rockets still contained the jet fuel used to propel them. The fuel had a tendency to auto-ignite or spontaneously explode. A third ship scuttled nearby is no longer a hazard. It blew up on its way to the ocean floor August 7, 1968. That ship was filled with conventional high-explosive weapons and 3,500 1-ton containers of mustard agent mixed with water. On its way to the 7,800 foot bottom, a chain reaction explosion went off when water pressure caused one of the weapons to go off initiating the rest to detonate.

The Army has only put one of its 26 dumpsites on nautical charts (according to the NOAA). Commercial fisherman, divers, and boaters have no way to avoid the extremely dangerous sites. The effect of the dumping operations has never been studied. Few scientists even know of the operation’s existence. Therefore, the effects of chemical weapons dumping correlating to the decline of sea life have never been studied. Sea life has thinned over the past 25 years for “unknown reasons”. Some scallopers now dredge in up to 400 feet of water, which in some East Coast locations is more than 100 miles off shore. The bottom dwelling cod population in the Northern Atlantic has been eradicated. In 1987, hundreds of bottle nosed dolphins washed up on Virginia and New Jersey shores with unexplainable skin blisters that resembled mustard gas burns on humans. Federal marine scientists attributed the remarkable number of dolphin deaths to morbillivirus and bacteria from industrial pollutants. That particular combination has killed other marine mammals over the years, but none have been found with the skin partially peeling off, as with the dolphins. The Army was going to investigate the dolphin deaths to establish if it was from the chemical weapons dumping - until the deaths were attributed to the virus and bacteria.

Overseas, scientists monitor the weapons dumpsites off other countries and have identified an unmistakable problem in the Skagerrak Strait (the deep, narrow body of water that separates Norway and Denmark). In 2002, Norwegian scientists investigated four ships full of captured German chemical weapons that the U.S. and British militaries sank in 2,000 feet of water after WWII. They found that, while the ships remained intact, some of the shells leaked and others were slowly corroding. Scientists concluded that this is a problem that could last hundreds of years. Soil sediment showed high levels of arsenic. Bottom feeding fish are likely to be contaminated and therefore pass arsenic up the food chain, becoming increasingly concentrated at each level - a process call bio-magnification, which you can learn about here.

Without further research, we will not know what is in our water. We are oblivious to what is affecting our food supply and thereby affecting us. We could be slowly poisoned – and may be already. Some of these deadly agents have already found their way on shore. How many more are there?

Further Reading:

View more of the story at DailyPress.com. Thanks to Mr. John M.R. Bull for the original story and research! Additional updates here, here & here.

View maps of some of the chemical weapons dumpsites from 1944-1970 in The United States, and the rest of the world.

 

A Lesson on WMD’s

A drop of nerve agent can kill within a minute and when released into the ocean, it can last up to six weeks – killing every organism it comes in contact with before breaking down into non-lethal chemical components. Mustard gas, when exposed to sea water, forms a concentrated, encrusted gel that lasts for at least five years, rolling around on the ocean floor, killing or contaminating sea life.

Here are some definitions and symptoms of the chemical weapons of mass destruction that were dumped off the U.S. coastlines:

Arsenic Trichloride:

Acute ingestion of toxic amounts of inorganic arsenic typically causes severe gastrointestinal signs and symptoms (e.g., vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea). These signs and symptoms might rapidly lead to dehydration and shock. Different clinical manifestations might follow, including dysrhythmias (prolonged QT, T-wave changes), altered mental status, and multi-system organ failure that might ultimately result in death.

Hydrogen Cyanide:

What cyanide is:

• Cyanide is a rapidly acting, potentially deadly chemical that can exist in various forms.
• Cyanide can be a colorless gas, such as hydrogen cyanide (HCN) or cyanogen chloride (CNCl), or a crystal form such as sodium cyanide (NaCN) or potassium cyanide (KCN).
• Cyanide sometimes is described as having a “bitter almond” smell, but it does not always give off an odor, and not everyone can detect this odor.
• Cyanide is also known by the military designations AC (for hydrogen cyanide) and CK (for cyanogen chloride).

Where cyanide is found and how it is used:

• Hydrogen cyanide, under the name Zyklon B, was used as a genocidal agent by the Germans in World War II.
• Reports have indicated that during the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s, hydrogen cyanide gas may have been used along with other chemical agents against the inhabitants of the Kurdish city of Halabja in northern Iraq.

People exposed to a small amount of cyanide by breathing it, absorbing it through their skin, or eating foods that contain it may have some or all of the following symptoms within minutes: Rapid breathing, Restlessness, Dizziness, Weakness, Headache, Nausea and vomiting, rapid heart rate. Exposure to a large amount of cyanide by any route may cause these other health effects as well: Convulsions, Low blood pressure, slow heart rate, Loss of consciousness, Lung injury, and Respiratory failure leading to death.

Lewisite: Lewisite is a type of chemical warfare agent. This kind of agent is called a vesicant or blistering agent, because it causes blistering of the skin and mucous membranes on contact.

Lewisite is an oily, colorless liquid in its pure form and can appear amber to black in its impure form. Lewisite has an odor like geraniums. Lewisite contains arsenic, a poisonous element. Lewisite is also known by its military designation, “L.”

Signs and symptoms occur immediately following a lewisite exposure. Lewisite can have the following effects on specific parts of the body:

• Skin: pain and irritation within seconds to minutes, redness within 15 to 30 minutes followed by blister formation within several hours. The blister begins as a small blister in the middle of the red areas and then expands to cover the entire reddened area of skin. The lesions (sores) from lewisite heal much faster than lesions caused by the other blistering agents, sulfur mustard and nitrogen mustards, and the discoloring of the skin that occurs later is much less noticeable.
• Eyes: irritation, pain, swelling, and tearing may occur on contact.
• Respiratory tract: runny nose, sneezing, hoarseness, bloody nose, sinus pain, shortness of breath, and cough
• Digestive tract: diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting.
• Cardiovascular: “Lewisite shock” or low blood pressure may occur

Mustard Gas:

How sulfur mustard works:

• Adverse health effects caused by sulfur mustard depend on the amount people are exposed to, the route of exposure, and the length of time that people are exposed.
• Sulfur mustard is a powerful irritant and blistering agent that damages the skin, eyes, and respiratory (breathing) tract.
• It damages DNA, a vital component of cells in the body.
• Sulfur mustard vapor is heavier than air, so it will settle in low-lying areas.
• Immediate signs and symptoms of sulfur mustard exposure
• Exposure to sulfur mustard is usually not fatal. When sulfur mustard was used during World War I, it killed fewer than 5% of the people who were exposed and got medical care.
• People may not know right away that they have been exposed, because sulfur mustard often has no smell or has a smell that might not cause alarm.
• Typically, signs and symptoms do not occur immediately. Depending on the severity of the exposure, symptoms may not occur for 2 to 24 hours. Some people are more sensitive to sulfur mustard than are other people, and may have symptoms sooner.

Sulfur mustard can have the following effects on specific parts of the body:

• Skin: redness and itching of the skin may occur 2 to 48 hours after exposure and change eventually to yellow blistering of the skin.
• Eyes: irritation, pain, swelling, and tearing may occur within 3 to12 hours of a mild to moderate exposure. A severe exposure may cause symptoms within 1 to 2 hours and may include the symptoms of a mild or moderate exposure plus light sensitivity, severe pain, or blindness (lasting up to 10 days).
• Respiratory tract: runny nose, sneezing, hoarseness, bloody nose, sinus pain, shortness of breath, and cough within 12 to 24 hours of a mild exposure and within 2 to 4 hours of a severe exposure.
• Digestive tract: abdominal pain, diarrhea, fever, nausea, and vomiting.

Phosgene:

• Phosgene is a major industrial chemical used to make plastics and pesticides.
• At room temperature (70°F), phosgene is a poisonous gas.
• With cooling and pressure, phosgene gas can be converted into a liquid so that it can be shipped and stored. When liquid phosgene is released, it quickly turns into a gas that stays close to the ground and spreads rapidly.
• Phosgene gas may appear colorless or as a white to pale yellow cloud. At low concentrations, it has a pleasant odor of newly mown hay or green corn, but its odor may not be noticed by all people exposed. At high concentrations, the odor may be strong and unpleasant.
• Phosgene itself is nonflammable (not easily ignited and burned).
• Phosgene is also known by its military designation, “CG.”

During or immediately after exposure to dangerous concentrations of phosgene, the following signs and symptoms may develop: Coughing, Burning sensation in the throat and eyes, Watery eyes, Blurred vision, Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, Nausea and vomiting, Skin contact can result in lesions similar to those from frostbite or burns, Following exposure to high concentrations of phosgene, a person may develop fluid in the lungs (pulmonary edema) within 2 to 6 hours.

Exposure to phosgene may cause delayed effects that may not be apparent for up to 48 hours after exposure, even if the person feels better or appears well following removal from exposure. Therefore, people who have been exposed to phosgene should be monitored for 48 hours afterward. Delayed effects that can appear for up to 48 hours include the following: Difficulty breathing, coughing up white to pink-tinged fluid (a sign of pulmonary edema), Low blood pressure, and Heart failure.

Vesicant/Blister Agent Poisoning

Vesicants, also referred to as “blister agents,” were the most commonly used chemical warfare agents during World War I. The most likely routes of exposure are inhalation, dermal contact, and ocular contact. Vesicants are highly reactive chemicals that combine with proteins, DNA, and other cellular components to result in cellular changes immediately after exposure. Depending on the vesicant, clinical effects may occur immediately (as with phosgene oxime or lewisite) or may be delayed for 2 to 24 hours (as with mustards). Following exposure, the most commonly encountered clinical effects include dermal (skin erythema and blistering), respiratory (pharyngitis, cough, dyspnea), ocular (conjunctivitis and burns), and gastrointestinal (nausea and vomiting). The amount and route of exposure to the vesicant, the type of vesicant, and the premorbid condition of the person exposed will contribute to the time of onset and the severity of illness. For example, ingestion of a vesicant leads to gastrointestinal symptoms more prominent than those that would result from inhalation exposure to the same dose and type of vesicant.

Signs and symptoms

The following is a more comprehensive list of signs and symptoms that may be encountered in a person exposed to a vesicant. Signs and symptoms are not listed in order of presentation or specificity. Also, partial presentations (an absence of some of the following signs/symptoms) do not necessarily imply less severe disease.

Respiratory signs and symptoms

• Clear rhinorrhea
• Nasal irritation/pain
• Sore throat
• Cough
• Dyspnea (shortness of breath)
• Chest tightness
• Tachypnea
• Hemoptysis

Dermal signs and symptoms

• Itching
• Immediate blanching (phosgene oxime)
• Erythema (immediate with lewisite and phosgene oxime, may be delayed for 2 to 24 hours with mustards)
• Blisters (within 1 hour with phosgene oxime, delayed for 2 to 12 hours with lewisite, delayed for 2 to 24 hours with mustards)
• Necrosis and eschar (over a period of 7 to 10 days)

Ocular signs and symptoms

• Conjunctivitis
• Lacrimation
• Eye pain/burning
• Photophobia
• Blurred vision
• Eyelid edema
• Corneal ulceration
• Blindness

Cardiovascular signs

• Hypotension (with high-dose exposure to lewisite)
• Atrioventricular block and cardiac arrest (with high-dose exposure)
• Gastrointestinal signs and symptoms (prominent if ingestion is a route of exposure)
• Abdominal pain
• Nausea and vomiting
• Hematemesis
• Diarrhea (sometimes bloody)

Central nervous system signs and symptoms (with exposure to high doses)

• Tremors
• Convulsions
• Ataxia
• Coma

Laboratory findings suggestive of vesicant exposure

Although it is a nonspecific finding, leukopenia can indicate vesicant exposure. It usually begins 3 to 5 days after exposure. With a white blood cell count < 500, the prognosis is poor.

Nerve Gas:

Nerve agent or organophosphate toxicity might result from multiple routes of exposure and is a cholinergic syndrome consisting of excess respiratory and oral secretions, diarrhea and vomiting, diaphoresis, convulsions, altered mental status, miosis, bradycardia, and generalized weakness that can progress to paralysis and respiratory arrest.

In certain cases, excessive autonomic activity from stimulation of nicotinic receptors will offset the cholinergic syndrome and will include mydriasis, fasciculations, tachycardia, and hypertension.

Central nervous system signs and symptoms

• Miosis (unilateral or bilateral)
• Headache
• Restlessness
• Convulsions
• Loss of consciousness
• Coma

Respiratory signs and symptoms

• Rhinorrhea (perfuse watery runny nose)
• Bronchorrhea (excessive bronchial secretions)
• Wheezing
• Dyspnea (shortness of breath)
• Chest tightness
• Hyperpnea (increased respiratory rate/depth) - early (increased respiratory rate/depth)
• Bradypnea (decreased respiratory rate) - late (decreased respiratory rate)

Cardiovascular signs resulting from blood loss

• Tachycardia (increased heart rate) - early (increased heart rate)
• Hypertension (high blood pressure) - early (high blood pressure)
• Bradycardia (decreased heart rate) - late (decreased heart rate)
• Hypotension (low blood pressure) - late (low blood pressure)
• Arrhythmias Dysrhythmias (prolonged QT on EKG, ventricular tachycardia)

Gastrointestinal signs and symptoms

• Abdominal pain
• Nausea & and vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Urinary incontinence, frequency

Musculoskeletal signs and symptoms

• Weakness (may progress to paralysis)
• Fasciculations (local or generalized)

Skin and mucous membrane signs and symptoms

• Profuse sweating (local or generalized)
• Lacrimation (tear formation)
• Conjunctival injection

White Phosphorus

White Phosphorus bomb fatality

Ingestion of elemental white or yellow phosphorus typically causes severe vomiting and diarrhea, which are both described as "smoking," "luminescent," and having a garlic-like odor. Other signs and symptoms of severe poisoning might include dysrhythmias, coma, hypotension, and death. Contact with skin might cause severe burns within minutes to hours.

Little information is available about the health effects that may be caused by white phosphorus. Most of what is known about the effects of breathing white phosphorus is from studies of workers. Most of what is known about the effects of eating white phosphorus is from reports of people eating rat poison or fireworks that contained it.

Breathing white phosphorus for short periods may cause coughing and irritation of the throat and lungs. Breathing white phosphorus for long periods may cause a condition known as "phossy jaw" which involves poor wound healing of the mouth and breakdown of the jaw bone.

Eating or drinking small amounts of white phosphorus may cause liver, heart, or kidney damage, vomiting, stomach cramps, drowsiness, or death. We do not know what the effects are from eating or drinking very small amounts of white phosphorus-containing substances over long periods of time. Skin contact with burning white phosphorus may burn skin or cause liver, heart, and kidney damage.

We do not know whether or not white phosphorus can affect the ability to have children or cause birth defects in people. Source: All of this information was obtained from the CDC (Center for Disease Control) and INCHEM (Chemical Safety Information from Intergovernmental Organizations)