Exposure science for terrorist attacks and theaters of military conflict: minimizing contact with toxicants.

The strategies for protecting our deployed U.S. Forces are outlined in National Research Council documents published in 1999-2000. This article summarizes experiences and information gathered and interpreted regarding population and rescue workers' exposures in the aftermath of the 2001 World Trade Center attacks, with the aim to provide insights on issues related to military deployment to locations with hazardous agents. Issues covered include phases of exposure, materials of concern, detection equipment, and personal protection equipment. The focus is on human exposure issues, which are primarily associated with strategies 1 through 3 of the National Research Council's report entitled "Protecting Those Who Serve: Strategies to Protect the Health of Deployed U.S. Forces". Contact and duration of contact with hazardous substances are critical areas of concern, which require prevention and intervention procedures and protocols to reduce the incidence of acute and long-term health outcomes.