| Contaminated Water Supplies at Camp Lejeune: Assessing Potential Health Effects (2009) Press Release Report in Brief In the early 1980s, two water-supply systems on the Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina were found to be contaminated with the industrial solvents perchloroethylene (PCE), which entered water supplies as a result of spills and improper disposal practices by an off-base dry cleaner, and tricholorethylene (TCE) from on-base spills and leaks from underground storage equipment. Evidence exists that people living or working at Camp Lejeune between the 1950s and 1985 were exposed to the contaminants, which has generated considerable public controversy over potential health consequences, such as various cancers. This report, conducted in response to a request from the U.S. Navy, examines what is known about contamination of the water supplies and whether the contamination can be linked to any adverse health outcomes. The report finds that, even with today's scientific advances, the complex nature of the Camp Lejeune contamination and the limited data on the concentrations in water supplies allowed for only crude estimates of exposure. The report concludes that strong scientific evidence is not available to link the health problems among those exposed to the contaminants. The report also concludes that further research cannot provide definitive information, so policy changes or administrative actions to address and resolve concerns should not wait until additional health studies are conducted.
In addition to reviewing information specific to Camp Lejeune, the report reviews available epidemiologic and toxicologic studies on associations between these chemicals and adverse health effects. The review shows insufficient evidence to justify a causal inference for any health effects. However, the committee found "limited or suggestive evidence of an association" between chronic exposure to TCE, PCE, or a mixture of solvents and some diseases and disorders, including cancers of the breast, bladder, kidneys, esophagus, and lungs. The majority of the health outcomes reviewed in the epidemiologic studies was placed in the category of "inadequate or insufficient evidence." |

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