Enquirer

From: Fannie Godwin
Date: 8th September 1999
Subject: Scientific research connecting birth defects to mustard gas

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Dear Micky,

I am looking for scientific research that connects birth defects to mustard gas as a result of damage to the father which causes him to pass on defective genes to his children many months after the exposure.

Thanks very much.

Fannie Godwin

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Dear Fannie

I have forwarded your request on who was one of the authors of the Ergethan case-study 'Environmental assessment of a WW2 mustard gas factory using GIS'.

Other contacts that may be of use are :-

1. in Australia, whose Father-in-law was a Mustard gas guinea-pig at Porton Down.

2. in Germany who has done alot of work on remediation and assessment of WW2 munitions sites

3. in Cambridge who has done some work in this area.

4. in North Wales who has done work on unexploded Second World War bombs.

In September 1999, 'The Guardian' newspaper stated that over 3,100 military personnel were exposed to nerve gas during tests at Porton Down, between 1945 and 1989. This report was based on information released by the Public Record Office.

On the 29th October 1999, 'The Independent' newspaper had an article about a potential police investigation at Porton Down. Apparently 25 National Servicemen (conscripts) died in a series of tests (using nerve gas etc) carried in the 50's and 60's. Their report was based on information released to MP Ken Livingstone.

Porton Down was the main biological / chemical warfare research centre in the UK, and was the subject of a recent TV documentary (BBC Northeast and Cumbria).

Try these links :-

• BBC
• The Independent
• The Guardian
• Public Record Office

cheers

Micky

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Dear Fannie,

There is no published scientific literature on birth defects in subjects (either male or female) exposed to mustard gas. In theory, mustard gas has the potential to cause damage to germ cells (those involved in reproduction) but we do not know how much mustard gas reaches these cells in exposed individuals.

I hope this helps.

Yours sincerely,

Molecular Epidemiology
University of Leeds