Depleted uranium not a health risk

    Sept. 15, 2005
    Depleted uranium (DU) used in armorpiercing bullets and other ammunition fired during the Gulf War is not likely to be responsible for health problems in returning vets and their offspring, says to a two-year study from Sandia National Laboratory.

    Some vets point to the 315 tons of DU dust generated in the War as the cause of their leukemia, cancer, neurological disorders, and birth defects in their children.

    The study found that the vast majority of health risks from DU exposure are not supported by medical statistics or analysis of the science. The study does point out that a few soldiers riding in

    vehicles accidentally struck by DU rounds could have inhaled enough DU dust to increase their chances of kidney damage and increase their chances of getting cancer by 1%. (All Americans currently run a 24% change of getting cancer.)

    The full report can be downloaded at http://www.sandia.gov/ newscenter/news-releases/2005/defnonprolifsec/snl-dusand.pdf

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