...for as long as it takes
Health Effects From Depleted Uranium
The Department of Defense announced today the release of a RAND
scientific
literature review that indicates no evidence of harmful health effects
directly linked to depleted uranium exposures at levels experienced by
Gulf
War veterans.
The report, "A Review of the Scientific Literature as it Pertains to
Gulf
War Illnesses: Volume 7 Depleted Uranium," is the latest report
commissioned by the office of the special assistant for Gulf War
illnesses.
The report responds to veterans' concerns that depleted uranium might be
the
cause of some of their illnesses.
The report states that there are no peer reviewed published reports of
detectable increases of cancer or other negative health effects from
radiation exposure to inhaled or ingested natural uranium at levels far
exceeding those likely in the Gulf. This is mainly because the body is
very
effective at eliminating ingested and inhaled uranium and because the
low
radioactivity of natural or depleted uranium means that the mass of
uranium
needed for significant internal exposure is virtually impossible to
obtain.
Large variations in exposure to radioactivity from natural uranium in
the
normal environment have not been associated with negative health
effects.
Exposure to uranium at high doses can cause kidney problems. However,
no
increase in kidney disease has been observed in relatively large
occupational populations chronically exposed to natural uranium at
concentrations above normal ambient levels.
Researchers at the Baltimore VA Medical Center are following the group
of
Gulf War Veterans with the greatest exposure to depleted uranium,
veterans
with embedded fragments. Although these individuals have an array of
health
problems, many of which are related to their combat injuries,
researchers
say "To date no manifestations of kidney disease attributable to the
chemical toxicity of depleted uranium have been found; neither do these
individuals appear to have manifestations attributable to radiation
effects."
RAND is a nonprofit institution with a long history of independent
research.
RAND had experts review the literature, including Dr. Naomi Harley, an
authority on radiation physics, Dr. Ernest Foulkes, a heavy metal
toxicologist, and Dr. Lee Hilborne, a pathologist. Their review
encompassed
literature relating to both radiation and heavy metal toxicity risks
published or accepted for publication in peer-reviewed journals, books,
government publications and conference proceedings.
This paper, as well as the RAND literature review on oil well fires and
the
Defense Department's environmental exposure report on depleted uranium
are
posted on the: GulfLINK Website
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