27/07/2012 - The children of Kiwi soldiers exposed to an insecticide in Malaysia are more likely to suffer from deformed genitals and breast cancer.
A Canterbury University researcher has found a link between exposure to dibutylphthalate and certain diseases during the Malayan Emergency.
Professor Ian Shaw's research has this month been published in the New Zealand Medical Journal.
About 3500 New Zealand soldiers were deployed during the Malayan Emergency from 1948 to 1960, fighting communists. The soldiers based in the jungles of Malaysia brushed the insecticide on to the seams of their uniforms to kill ticks and lice to avoid bush typhus.
Shaw said the soldiers would have been in "constant contact" with the chemical dibutylphthalate, known as DBP.
The soldiers' children had experienced higher rates of hypospadias [deformed penis], undescended testes and breast cancer, Shaw's research found.
"While the numbers are small in terms of absolute numbers, the statistical difference between normal people and those exposed to DBP is very significant." read more>>>
1 comment:
This is very sad news, but it is indeed possible. Some studies have concluded that extensive exposure to Dibutyl Phthalate can affect hormonal functions. This shows how important safety measures are, especially in dealing with toxic materials. Also, by acting at the slightest signs of the effects of chemical exposure – eye irritation, nausea, etc. – you increase the chances of reducing the harmful effects. Let’s hope these people and their situation wouldn’t go neglected at the end of the day.
Dallas Willis
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