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The Netherlands on the defensive over toxic paint

Kate BradyFebruary 12, 2015

Roughly 1,400 military employees in the Netherlands are hoping for compensation from the government, after it emerged that they used toxic paints when servicing US military vehicles in the 1980s and 90s.

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Image: picture-alliance/dpa

The use of paint containing hexavalent chromium (chromium VI) to service US military vehicles has turned into quite a headache for the Defense Ministry in the Netherlands in recent months. Chromium VI is a known carcinogen when inhaled or ingested, and can have other negative affects on people's health.

The chemical was reportedly present in paints used to repair and respray US military vehicles - especially camouflage paint for planes and tanks. The vehicles were stationed in Europe on NATO duties.

According to documents published by German regional broadcaster WDR and newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung, authorities were aware for years that safety guidelines were not being followed. A total of 10 facilities are under investigation, German staff would occasionally be drafted to help out at some of the eastern sites closest to the border.

WDR's report focused on one employee, Tony Lammers, who said he had spent the last year medically unable to work. Lammers told WDR that protective clothing like gloves and masks were often lacking, or defective. "Once I took my mask off, you could tell what color paint I had been using as it was all around my mouth," he said.

Government U-turn last year

Last November, Defense Minister Jeanine Hennis, who had previously said there was "no indication" that staff were excessively exposed to the toxin, told parliament that the government would provide some form of compensation to affected employees. By then, more than 100 people had already joined a civil lawsuit against the government.

Roughly 1,400 people have since applied for consideration for compensation from the government; a verdict on what they were eligible to receive was initially scheduled for January, but has not yet been reached.

Due to its high risk human health and the environment, the use of hexavalent chromium has been largely discontinued, with the exception of protecting aluminum parts from corrosion.

In an interview with WDR, Thomas Kraus, a professor at the University Hospital of Aachen in the western German border city, said experts have known for a long time that "inhaling chromium VI compounds can cause lung cancer."

Germany's Labor Ministry first officially warned of the compound's carcinogenic effects in 1981.

Compensation remains unclear

Officials in the Netherlands have said the compensation process is taking longer than first promised, mainly because of the difficulty in diagnosing diseases related to chromium VI exposure. A wide range of symptoms can be caused, and they can vary depending on the amount of chromium dioxide which has been inhaled.

Some of the patients who came into contact with hexavalent chromium or chromium VI have reported symptoms of porous fingernails and teeth, breathing problems and high blood pressure. Others have been diagnosed with cancer.

High concentrations could lead to irritation in the mucous membranes and ulcers in the nose and throat, as well as a hole in the nasal septum, which separates the nostrils. Lower concentrations of the compounds could still cause an allergic reaction on the skin however.

In response to a request from WDR and the Süddeutsche, the German Bundeswehr confirmed that it had used chromium VI-based paints for its vehicles in the past, but that the practice was discontinued roughly 30 years ago.