Base Background
Otis Air National Guard Base is the landing field at Camp Edwards. The site opened in 1938 as Otis Field. This location was the largest Aerospace Defense Command in the world until the early 70’s. Currently, the base focuses primarily on intelligence missions. Other base missions include engineering, installation, homeland defense, and combat communications.
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 | ||
| Aerozine-50 | Potential Effects | - | - | - |
| Diesel Fuel | Potential Effects | - | - | - |
| Fuel oil | Potential Effects | - | - | - |
| Hydrazine | Potential Effects | - | Steatosis (fatty liver), Asthma irritant | Nasopharyngeal/SinoNasal cancer, Lung cancer, Hepatocellular cancer (Liver cancer), Breast cancer |
| Jet Fuel | Potential Effects | - | - | - |
| Methylene chloride | Potential Effects | Myocardial ischemia, Arrhythmias | Reduced Fertility Male (infertility and subfertility), Fetotoxicity (Miscarriage/spontaneous abortion; stillbirth), Brain cancer adult, Arrhythmias | Peripheral neuropathy, Pancreatic cancer, Lung cancer, Hepatocellular cancer (Liver cancer), Breast cancer |
| Perchloroethylene (PCE) | Potential Effects | - | - | - |
| Red fuming nitric acid | Potential Effects | - | - | - |
| Solvents (misc.) | Potential Effects | Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Contact dermatitis Irritant | Lung cancer | Vasculitis, Seizures, Rheumatoid arthritis, Multiple Sclerosis |
| Trichloroethanes | Potential Effects | - | - | - |
| 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 |
Waste battery electrolytes, cleaners, and paint thinners were also found on the site. If you were stationed on Otis Air National Guard Base/Camp Edward, and you 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.
