Base Background
Location
660, Hangar Road, Rome, New York, 13441, United States
Years of Operation
1942-1995
Griffiss Air Force Base opened in 1942. The site’s mission was the maintenance, repair, and modification of aircrafts. It also served as a storage facility. The military gave the site its current name in 1947. Throughout the 20th century, the base focused on aerial refueling, electronic research, and bomber training. This location officially closed in 1995.
Known Toxins
The following chart outlines the toxins associated with this military location and the potential effects of exposure.*
| Toxin | Potential Effects | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strong | Good | Limited | ||
| Barium | Potential Effects | - | - | Sarcoidosis, Arrhythmias |
| Chromium | Potential Effects | Skin ulceration, Nasopharyngeal/SinoNasal cancer, Nasal septal perforation, Nasal polyps, Bronchitis acute, Asthma allergic | Stomach cancer, Pulmonary fibrosis, Photosensitivity, COPD chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Chronic renal disease, Brain cancer adult, Acute tubular necrosis | Soft tissue sarcoma, Renal (kidney) cancer, Reduced Fertility Male (infertility and subfertility), Prostate cancer, Pancreatic cancer, Immune suppression, Esophageal cancer, Bladder cancer, Autoimmune antibodies, positive ANA, Adult-Onset Leukemias, Abnormal sperm (morphology, motility, and sperm count) |
| Dichloroethene (DCE) | Potential Effects | - | - | - |
| Heavy metals (misc.) | Potential Effects | Pneumonitis hypersensitivity | - | Multiple myeloma |
| Lead | Potential Effects | Seizures, Reduced Fertility Male (infertility and subfertility), Peripheral neuropathy, Hypertension, Gout, Developmental Delay, Decreased I.Q../Mental retardation, Decreased Coordination/ Dysequilibrium, Coronary artery disease, peripheral vascular disease, atherosclerosis, Cognitive impairment (includes impaired learning, impaired memory, and decreased attention span), Chronic renal disease, Behavioral problems, Anemia hemolytic, ADD/ADHD, hyperactivity, Abnormal sperm (morphology, motility, and sperm count) | Reduced Fertility Female (infertility and subfertility), Psychiatric disturbances, Preterm delivery, Porphyria toxic, Nephrotic syndrome, Low birth weight/Small for Gestational Age, Immune suppression, Hormonal changes (levels of circulating sex hormones FSH/LH, Inhibin, and/or estrogens, progesterones, and androgens), Hearing loss, Glomerulonephritis, Delayed growth, Cardiomyopathy, Arrhythmias, Altered time to sexual maturation (accelerated or delayed puberty) | Wilm's Tumor, Thyroid disorders Hypothyroidism, Stomach cancer, Osteoporosis, Neurosthenia (Organic affective syndrome), Lung cancer, Erectile dysfunction, Congenital malformation Cranio Facial, Carcinoid, Brain cancer adult, Bladder cancer, Alzheimer's, ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) |
| Polychlorinated Byphenyls (PCBs) | Potential Effects | Thyroid disorders Hypothyroidism, Porphyria toxic, Developmental Delay, Decreased I.Q../Mental retardation, Cirrhosis, Chloracne, Behavioral problems, ADD/ADHD, hyperactivity | Peripheral neuropathy, Pancreatic cancer, Menstrual disorders, Lymphoma non Hodgkin's, Low birth weight/Small for Gestational Age, Immune suppression, Hepatocellular cancer (Liver cancer), Dyslipidemia, hypercholesterolemia, Delayed growth, Congenital malformation Cranio Facial, Cognitive impairment (includes impaired learning, impaired memory, and decreased attention span), Bronchitis chronic, Acute hepatocellular injury (Hepatitis), Abnormal sperm (morphology, motility, and sperm count) | Testicular cancer, Reduced Fertility Female (infertility and subfertility), Parkinson's disease/Movement disorders, Hypoactivity, Hypertension, Hyperkeratosis/Hyperpigmentation, Hearing loss, Endometriosis, Diabetes Type I, Breast cancer, Bone cancer/Ewings sarcoma, Altered time to sexual maturation (accelerated or delayed puberty), Altered sex ratio |
| Trichloroethylene (TCE) | Potential Effects | Acute hepatocellular injury (Hepatitis) | Scleroderma, Renal (kidney) cancer, Psychiatric disturbances, Lymphoma non Hodgkin's, Hepatocellular cancer (Liver cancer), Fetotoxicity (Miscarriage/spontaneous abortion; stillbirth), Decreased Coordination/ Dysequilibrium, Cirrhosis, Childhood Leukemias, Cardiac congenital malformations, Autoimmune antibodies, positive ANA, Arrhythmias | Trigeminal neuropathy, Testicular cancer, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Raynaud's phenomenon, Prostate cancer, Peripheral neuropathy, Pancreatitis, Pancreatic cancer, Oral clefts (cleft lip and palate), Neural tube defects/CNS malformations, Nephrotic syndrome, Multiple myeloma, Lung cancer, Low birth weight/Small for Gestational Age, Immune suppression, Hodgkin's Disease (lymphoma), Genitourinary malformations (includes cryptorchidism, hypospadias), Cognitive impairment (includes impaired learning, impaired memory, and decreased attention span), Choanal atresia, Cervical cancer, Brain cancer adult, Adult-Onset Leukemias, ADD/ADHD, hyperactivity, Acute tubular necrosis |
| Vinyl chloride | Potential Effects | Vinyl chloride disease - Acroosteolysis, Raynaud's phenomenon | Thrombocytopenia, Scleroderma, Pulmonary fibrosis, Porphyria toxic, Hepatoportal Sclerosis, Hepatocellular cancer (Liver cancer) | Skin cancer (nonmelanoma), Renal (kidney) cancer, Pancreatic cancer, Neural tube defects/CNS malformations, Lung cancer, Laryngeal cancer, Immune suppression, Hypertension, Erectile dysfunction, Breast cancer, Brain cancer adult, Autoimmune antibodies, positive ANA |
| Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) | Potential Effects | Rhinitis irritant | - | - |
If you were stationed at Griffiss Air Force Base and later experienced adverse health effects, you may be eligible for compensation.
*Effects are according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry unless otherwise noted.
