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Research Review
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| Biological Warfare Agents as Threats to Potable Water W. Dickinson Burrows and Sara E. Renner U.S. Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, USA Abstract
Nearly all known biological warfare agents are intended for aerosol application. Although less effective as potable water threats, many are potentially capable of inflicting heavy casualties when ingested. Significant loss of mission capability can be anticipated even when complete recovery is possible. Properly maintained field army water purification equipment can counter this threat, but personnel responsible for the operation and maintenance of the equipment may be most at risk of exposure. Municipal water treatment facilities would be measurably less effective. Some replicating (infectious) agents and a few biotoxins are inactivated by chlorine disinfection ; for others chlorine is ineffective or of unknown efficacy. This report assesses the state of our knowledge of agents as potable water threats and contemplates the consequences of intentional or collateral contamination of potable water supplies by 18 replicating agents and 9 biotoxins known or likely to be weaponized or otherwise used as threats. Key words: bacteria, biological warfare, potable water, protozoa, rickettsia, toxin, virus. Environ Health Perspect 107:975-984 (1999) . [Online 5 November 1999] http://ehpnet1.niehs.nih.gov/docs/1999/107p975-984burrows/ abstract.html Address correspondence to W.D. Burrows, U.S. Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine, Attn: MCHB-TS-EWS, 5158 Blackhawk Road, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD 21010-5403. Telephone: (410) 436-3919. Fax: (410) 436-8104. E-mail: William.Burrows@APG.AMEDD.army.mil This review was supported by the U.S. Army Combined Arms Support Command, Fort Lee, VA. The assistance of E.M. Eitzen (U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, MD) is gratefully acknowledged. The findings of this review are not to be construed as an official Department of the Army position unless so designated by other authorized documents. Citations of commercial organizations or trade names in this report do not constitute an official Department of the Army endorsement of the products of these organizations. Received 29 March 1999 ; accepted 1 July 1999.
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