Base Background
Location
Naval Weapons Station, Virginia, 23691, United States
Years of Operation
1918-Present
Naval Weapons Station Yorktown was established in 1918. At the time, it was the largest naval installation in the world. This site provides explosive storage, maintenance, research and development, and logistical support services. Navy and Marines personnel also train at this base.
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 | ||
| Aluminium | Potential Effects | Lung cancer, Bronchitis chronic | Spasticity/Myoclonus, Seizures, Pneumonitis hypersensitivity, Dementia, Decreased Coordination/ Dysequilibrium, Asthma allergic | Sarcoidosis, Pulmonary fibrosis, Pulmonary edema, Porphyria toxic, Parkinson's disease/Movement disorders, Coronary artery disease, peripheral vascular disease, atherosclerosis, Cognitive impairment (includes impaired learning, impaired memory, and decreased attention span), Alzheimer's, ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease), Abnormal sperm (morphology, motility, and sperm count) |
| Anthracene | Potential Effects | - | Skin cancer (nonmelanoma) | - |
| Antimony | Potential Effects | Bronchitis chronic | COPD chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Arrhythmias | Pulmonary edema, Nasal septal perforation, Menstrual disorders, Fetotoxicity (Miscarriage/spontaneous abortion; stillbirth), Bladder cancer, Anemia hemolytic, Acute hepatocellular injury (Hepatitis) |
| Arsenic | Potential Effects | Peripheral neuropathy, Hyperkeratosis/Hyperpigmentation, Diabetes Type II, Coronary artery disease, peripheral vascular disease, atherosclerosis | Steatosis (fatty liver), Skeletal malformations, Renal (kidney) cancer, Raynaud's phenomenon, Pneumonitis hypersensitivity, Neural tube defects/CNS malformations, Nasal septal perforation, Myocardial ischemia, Low birth weight/Small for Gestational Age, Hypertension, Hepatoportal Sclerosis, Fetotoxicity (Miscarriage/spontaneous abortion; stillbirth), Congenital malformations general, Cirrhosis, Cardiomyopathy, Bladder cancer, Arrhythmias, Anemia hemolytic, Alopecia, Adult-Onset Leukemias | Neurosthenia (Organic affective syndrome), Myelodysplastic syndrome, Metal fume fever, Immune suppression, Hepatocellular cancer (Liver cancer), Genitourinary malformations (includes cryptorchidism, hypospadias), Cognitive impairment (includes impaired learning, impaired memory, and decreased attention span), Acute tubular necrosis |
| Beryllium | Potential Effects | Skin ulceration, Pneumonitis hypersensitivity, Pneumoconiosis, Chronic renal disease, Berylliosis | Renal stones, Pulmonary fibrosis, Pulmonary edema, Pneumonia, Nasal septal perforation, Granulomatous disease (liver), Bronchitis acute | Seizures, Sarcoidosis, Mesothelioma, Immune suppression, Cardiomyopathy, Bone cancer/Ewings sarcoma |
| Cadmium | Potential Effects | Renal stones, Osteoporosis, Itaiitai disease, Chronic renal disease, Acute tubular necrosis | Reduced Fertility Male (infertility and subfertility), Prostate cancer, Pneumonia, Nephrotic syndrome, COPD chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Cardiomyopathy, Anemia hemolytic | Testicular cancer, Soft tissue sarcoma, Renal (kidney) cancer, Pulmonary fibrosis, Pulmonary edema, Peripheral neuropathy, Pancreatic cancer, Oral clefts (cleft lip and palate), Neural tube defects/CNS malformations, Metal fume fever, Menstrual disorders, Immune suppression, Hypoactivity, Hypertension, Genitourinary malformations (includes cryptorchidism, hypospadias), Decreased I.Q../Mental retardation, Congenital malformation Cranio Facial, Cognitive impairment (includes impaired learning, impaired memory, and decreased attention span), Brain cancer adult, Autoimmune antibodies, positive ANA, Arrhythmias, ADD/ADHD, hyperactivity, Abnormal sperm (morphology, motility, and sperm count) |
| 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) |
| Chrysene | Potential Effects | - | - | - |
| Cyanide | Potential Effects | Seizures, Myocardial ischemia, Arrhythmias | Peripheral neuropathy | - |
| Fluoroanthene | Potential Effects | - | - | - |
| Gamma-chlordane | Potential Effects | - | - | - |
| Indeno pyrene | Potential Effects | - | - | - |
| Iron | Potential Effects | Bronchitis chronic | - | Soft tissue sarcoma, Diabetes Type II, Brain cancer adult, Alzheimer's |
| 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) |
| Manganese | Potential Effects | Parkinson's disease/Movement disorders, Cholestasis | Psychiatric disturbances, Pneumonitis hypersensitivity, Pneumonia, Peripheral neuropathy, Decreased Coordination/ Dysequilibrium, Bronchitis acute, ADD/ADHD, hyperactivity | Skeletal malformations, Reduced Fertility Male (infertility and subfertility), Peripheral neuropathy, Neurosthenia (Organic affective syndrome), Neural tube defects/CNS malformations, Metal fume fever, Hormonal changes (levels of circulating sex hormones FSH/LH, Inhibin, and/or estrogens, progesterones, and androgens), Fetotoxicity (Miscarriage/spontaneous abortion; stillbirth), Erectile dysfunction, Delayed growth, COPD chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Cognitive impairment (includes impaired learning, impaired memory, and decreased attention span), Arrhythmias |
| Mercury | Potential Effects | Peripheral neuropathy, Hearing loss, Behavioral problems, Acute tubular necrosis | Low birth weight/Small for Gestational Age, Immune suppression, Glomerulonephritis, Fetotoxicity (Miscarriage/spontaneous abortion; stillbirth), Congenital malformations general, Chronic renal disease, Autoimmune antibodies, positive ANA, Aplastic anemia, Anemia hemolytic | Thyroid disorders Hypothyroidism, Scleroderma, Reduced Fertility Female (infertility and subfertility), Reduced Fertility Male (infertility and subfertility), Neurosthenia (Organic affective syndrome), Nephrotic syndrome, Myocardial ischemia, Menstrual disorders, Hormonal changes (levels of circulating sex hormones FSH/LH, Inhibin, and/or estrogens, progesterones, and androgens), Coronary artery disease, peripheral vascular disease, atherosclerosis |
| Nickel | Potential Effects | Asthma allergic | Stomach cancer, Pulmonary fibrosis, Pulmonary edema, Nasal septal perforation, Laryngeal cancer, Immune suppression | Soft tissue sarcoma, Renal (kidney) cancer, Prostate cancer, Myocardial ischemia, Myelodysplastic syndrome, Metal fume fever, Mesothelioma, Fetotoxicity (Miscarriage/spontaneous abortion; stillbirth), Arrhythmias |
| 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 |
| Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) | Potential Effects | Scrotal cancer, Porphyria toxic, Laryngeal cancer | Skin cancer (nonmelanoma), Renal (kidney) cancer, Prostate cancer, Photosensitivity, Pancreatic cancer, Nasopharyngeal/SinoNasal cancer, Lung cancer, Immune suppression, Esophageal cancer, Breast cancer, Bladder cancer | Reduced Fertility Male (infertility and subfertility), Oral cancer, Melanoma, Early onset menopause, Coronary artery disease, peripheral vascular disease, atherosclerosis, Colorectal cancer, Bone cancer/Ewings sarcoma, Adult-Onset Leukemias |
| Pyrene | Potential Effects | - | - | - |
| Tetrachloroethene (PERC) | Potential Effects | - | - | - |
| Thallium | Potential Effects | Peripheral neuropathy | Alopecia | Psychiatric disturbances, Menstrual disorders |
| Vanadium | Potential Effects | COPD chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Bronchitis chronic, Asthma allergic | Acute tubular necrosis | Reduced Fertility Female (infertility and subfertility), Pneumonia, Fetotoxicity (Miscarriage/spontaneous abortion; stillbirth), Bronchitis acute |
| Zinc | Potential Effects | Skin ulceration | - | Testicular cancer |
If you were stationed at Naval Weapons Station Yorktown 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.
