NCJ Number
219162
Journal
Homeland Defense Journal Volume: 5 Issue: 3 Dated: March 2007 Pages: 40,42,43
Date Published
March 2007
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This article discusses the nature and management of some of the problems that arose due to the irradiation of mail in the course of its processing after the anthrax letters sent shortly after the September 11 events.
Abstract
As a result of the letters sent to Capitol Hill and the deaths of some of the postal employees who processed that mail, the decision was made that mail going to certain Federal locations would be irradiated for the purpose of killing any anthrax enclosed in a letter. Since there was no pre-existing procedure for irradiating mail, a process similar to that used to irradiate meat was used. Some of the consequences of the irradiation for suspect letters were brittleness and yellowing, pages stuck together, melted ink, the melting of plastic windows in envelopes, an odor from the envelopes, enclosed microfiche wiped clean of all information, and burned enclosed credit cards. There was no evidence of the potential for long-term health effects from handling irradiated mail; however, apparently some mail handlers were hypersensitive to the irradiated mail. Because the irradiation process heats and dries out paper, some mail handlers experienced dry skin and skin irritation. Odors from irradiated mail sometimes produced headaches, mucous membrane irritation, eye irritation, and nausea in some individuals. After investigators determined what was causing symptoms in some employees, remedial measures were suggested, such as handling mail in well-ventilated areas, using lotion-based soap and water-based hand creams, as well as eye drops and nose spray. In addition, the process of irradiation was modified, which resulted in less damage to the mail and fewer symptoms in those who handled the mail.