US Army Secretly Sprayed Cadmium on St. Louis Residents During Cold War

Secret Cold War Experiments

• 💡 During the Cold War, the US government conducted secret human experiments on its own citizens without their knowledge or consent.
• 🎯 These experiments, conducted in the name of preparing for the Soviet threat, involved spraying chemicals and administering radioactive substances.

The St. Louis Fog Incident

• 🌫️ In St. Louis, the US Army sprayed a chemical containing zinc cadmium sulfide into the air of a predominantly Black neighborhood called Pruitt Igoe.
• 🧪 This was done in secret during the 1950s and 60s, with residents unaware they were being exposed to a known carcinogen.
• 👥 Over 10,000 people lived in the affected area, with the spray described as a thick, eerie fog that clung to skin and caused immediate symptoms like headaches and nausea.

Health Impacts and Government Response

• ⚠️ Residents report suffering from various illnesses, including rare cancers, and suspect the sprayed chemicals are the cause.
• 🚫 The Army admits to spraying cadmium but denies causing harm, citing internal reviews that residents and researchers find insufficient.
• 🔍 The National Research Council's review noted that repeated exposure to zinc cadmium sulfide can cause toxicity and cancer, but could not fully assess the risk due to missing or classified Army records.

Lack of Transparency and Ongoing Fight

• 🔒 Key Army records related to the St. Louis tests remain classified or were reported as missing, hindering a full understanding of the exposure and its effects.
• ✊ Researchers and activists, like Dr. Lisa Martino Taylor and Erin Brockovich, are working to declassify documents and uncover the full truth.
• ⚖️ Congressman Wesley Bell is advocating for Pruitt Igoe residents to be included in the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act to receive compensation and treatment.
• 💔 Residents express a deep sense of betrayal and are committed to continuing their fight for the truth, even as some community members have passed away from illnesses.