Guidance for diving in contaminated waters.

Abstract

USN Manual: 1-1 INTRODUCTION Contaminated water is defined as water which contains any chemical, biological, or radioactive substance which poses a chronic or acute health risk to exposed personnel. Some degree of contamination and/or pollution is evident in practically every body of water in the world. The contamination may be naturally occurring or come from a variety of sources including terrorist acts, leaking vessels, industrial discharges and/ or sewer effluent. However, much of the contamination that enters the water is not readily apparent. The biggest concern is from relatively enclosed bodies of water, such as lakes, rivers, or harbors which are within close proximity to large populations and wrecks, where contamination can accumulate and/or concentrate. These contaminants could present a potential health risk to Navy divers and may additionally impact mission and operational readiness. The effects on personnel may become evident immediately (acute) or may be delayed for many years (chronic) especially in the case of exposures to carcinogenic substances. For most microbiological exposure, illness will not develop for several hours after diving and could possibly be delayed for days. With the exception of chemical/biological warfare agents, acute toxicity and/or incapacitation is unexpected for most chemical exposures. However, chronic sub-toxic exposure to a variety of chemical hazards may effect illnesses such as cancer, neurodegenerative disease, hormonal disregulation and others.