Current Issues - Depleted Uranium Weapons in the Gulf Wars (1991, 2003)
(last updated 19 Aug 2011)
Contents:
| Gulf War (2003) |
Evidence of depleted uranium in tree bark suggests long-distance travel of depleted uranium particles in southern Iraq
"To assess the quality of the environment in southern Iraq after the Gulf War II, a geochemical survey was carried out. The survey provided data on the chemistry of Euphrates waters, as well as the trace element contents, U and Pb isotopic composition, and PAH levels in soil and tree bark samples. [...]""The chemistry of the tree bark samples closely reflected that of the soils, with some notable exceptions. Unlike the soils, some tree bark samples had anomalous values of the 235U/238U ratio due to mixing of depleted uranium (DU) with the natural uranium pool. Moreover, the distribution of some trace elements (such as REEs, Th and Zr) and the isotopic composition of Pb in barks clearly differed from those of the nearby soils. The overall results suggested that significant external inputs occurred implying that once formed the DU-enriched particles could travel over long distances. [...]" (from abstract)
Trace element distribution and 235U/238U ratios in Euphrates waters and in soils and tree barks of Dhi Qar province (southern Iraq), by F. Riccobono, G. Perra, A. Pisani, G. Protano, in: Science of The Total Environment, Vol. 409, Issue 19 (1 Sep 2011), p. 3829-3838, published ahead of print July 18, 2011
UK Ministry of Defence discloses depleted uranium ammunition use in 2003 Iraq War
"Approximately 1.9 metric tonnes of DU ammunition was expended in the 2003 Iraq War by UK forces. The MOD provided the coordinates of targets attacked using DU ammunition in 2003 to the United Nations (UN) Environmental Programme. The MOD also shared with the UN and the Government of Iraq the results of a scientific assessment carried out in June 2003 that indicated very low levels of DU even in the vicinity of vehicles struck by DU munitions. [...]"
IAEA releases report on residues of depleted uranium munitions in southern Iraq
"This publication describes the methods, assumptions and parameters used by the IAEA during the assessment of the post-conflict radiological conditions of the environment and populations in relation to the residues of depleted uranium munitions from 2003 that exist at four selected areas in southern Iraq. The studies conducted by the IAEA used the results of measurements provided by UNEP from the 2006-2007 environmental monitoring campaigns performed by the Iraqi Ministry for the Environment. It presents the data used, the results of the assessment, the findings and conclusions in connection therewith."
"In this report, it is concluded that the radiation doses from DU do not pose a radiological hazard to the population at the four studied locations in southern Iraq. The estimated annual committed effective radiation doses that could arise from exposure to DU residues are low, always less than 100 µSv/a and only to a few, if any, individuals, and therefore of little radiological concern. The estimated radiation doses are less than those received on average by individuals from natural sources of radiation in the environment (worldwide average 2.4 mSv/a), below internationally recommended dose limits for members of the public (1 mSv/a) and below the action level of 10 mSv/a set out in the IAEA Safety Standard on Remediation of Areas Contaminated by Past Activities and Accidents [1] to establish whether remedial actions are necessary."
Radiological Conditions in Selected Areas of Southern Iraq with Residues of Depleted Uranium 
, Report by an international group of experts, Radiological Assessment Report Series, STI/PUB/1434, 78 pp., IAEA 2010 (2.5M PDF)
Urinary isotopic analysis in the UK Armed Forces shows no evidence of depleted uranium absorption in combat and other personnel in Iraq
Army personnel involved in the Iraqi invasion of 2003 have not absorbed dangerous levels of depleted uranium, finds research published ahead of print in Occupational and Environmental Medicine.The authors (from the King's centre for military health research
at King's College London) tested depleted uranium levels in the urine of four different groups who would have been subject to different levels of exposure. These comprised 199 soldiers directly involved in fighting, 96 soldiers involved in other duties, 22 medical staff, and 24 people responsible for cleaning up or repairing contaminated vehicles. The staff were also questioned closely about the circumstances in which exposure might have occurred.The results showed that there were no differences in depleted uranium levels among the four groups. And the findings showed that levels were very close to those that would be expected from absorption of naturally occurring uranium. In cases where higher levels were found, these were within the normal range for naturally occurring uranium, when re-analyzed. (Eurekalert July 2, 2007)
Urinary isotopic analysis in the UK Armed Forces: No evidence of depleted uranium absorption in combat and other personnel in Iraq, by D J Bland, R J Rona, D Coggon, J Anderson, N Greenberg, L Hull and S Wessely, in: Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Published Online First: 3 July 2007.
Study finds no Gulf War Syndrome with British soldiers who served in Iraq
British soldiers serving in Iraq do not appear to be suffering ill-health on the scale reported by veterans of the Gulf war, scientists report today. Two studies, published online by the Lancet, suggest there may not be an Iraq war syndrome. But the research raises concerns for reservists and suggests they may need more help and support.The research was carried out by Simon Wessely and colleagues from the King's centre for military health research
at King's College London, who also did the definitive studies on the illnesses now commonly described as Gulf war syndrome. They say they are surprised by the results, which are not in line with work carried out in the United States.One of their studies compares the mental and physical health of nearly 4,000 soldiers who went to Iraq with that of a similar number who did not. The second contrasts the results from Iraq with those from the Gulf war in 1991.
Researchers found twice as many symptoms of ill-health in Gulf war veterans compared with servicemen who had not been deployed. But the new study of 3,642 male regular armed forces personnel serving in Iraq in 2003 found that their mental and physical health was not significantly different from that of 4,295 servicemen who were not deployed. (Guardian May 16, 2006)
Is there an Iraq war syndrome? Comparison of the health of UK service personnel after the Gulf and Iraq wars, by O Horn, L Hull, M Jones, D Murphy, T Browne, N T Fear, M Hotopf, R J Rona, S Wessely, in: Lancet 2006, Vol. 367: 1742–1746, Published Online May 16, 2006
U.S. House of Representatives passes Depleted Uranium Study Amendment to study possible health effects of DU on soldiers
Bill Number H.R. 5122 for the 109th Congress: SEC. 716. STUDY OF HEALTH EFFECTS OF EXPOSURE TO DEPLETED URANIUM > See also: Rep. Jim McDermott release May 11, 2006
Summary of Depleted Uranium Test Results For Iraq War Veterans, compiled by Dan Fahey
SUMMARY
The use of armor-piercing ammunition made from depleted uranium (DU) during the war in Iraq has raised concerns about DU exposures among military personnel and civilians. Since 2003, the US Department of Defense (DoD) and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) have tested more than 2,100 Iraq war veterans for DU exposure and the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has tested approximately 350 veterans. There have reportedly been few positive test results, but these results obscure problems with selection processes and testing methods. In this paper I summarize publicly available information about the use of DU munitions in Iraq, analyze differences between DoD/VA and MoD testing processes, review the results of government testing efforts, and discuss the significance of the testing processes and results.
Summary of Depleted Uranium Test Results For Iraq War Veterans, by Dan Fahey, 17 March 2006
> Download: full paper (71k PDF - posted with permission)
Study finds depleted uranium threat to Australian troops in Iraq to be low
A survey of the Australian area of operations in Al Muthanna province in southern Iraq has found no risk to troops from potentially harmful depleted uranium (DU) residues left over from past conflicts. Commander of the Australian taskforce Lieutenant Colonel Roger Noble said the survey team had looked everywhere in the vast province where DU had been reported or it was thought it might be found. "They have made a report on that. The way of summarising it is the risk from any radiation – depleted uranium is part of it – is extremely low," he said. Defence declined to release the report. (Australian June 8, 2005)
Testing of Iraq War veterans for depleted uranium exposure incomplete
"Since 2003, United States and United Kingdom government agencies have tested hundreds of servicemembers for DU exposure. There have reportedly been few positive test results, but publicly available information indicates that, at least in the United States, not all veterans who believe they were exposed to DU are in fact being tested." (from the Summary)
Summary of Government Data on Testing of Veterans for Depleted Uranium Exposure During Service in Iraq, by Dan Fahey, 10 February 2005
> Download full paper (162k PDF)
First official results for DU in urine of U.S. personnel in Iraq
In a memorandum dated Sep. 10, 2004, the U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense William Winkenwerder, Jr., summarized first depleted uranium bioassay results from U.S. personnel involved in "Operation Iraqi Freedom".The initial results cover the period June 3, 2003 - March 31, 2004: 14 out of the 766 persons tested were identified with total uranium levels above the upper bound of the U.S. population range of 50 ng/g creatinine, and five had indications of DU in their urine.
> Download table of bioassay results (15k PDF)
Exposure levels:
- Level I - personnel who were in, on, or near combat vehicles at the time they were struck by DU rounds (to include wounded), or who entered immediately after to attempt rescue;
- Level II - personnel who routinely entered DU-damaged vehicles as part of their military occupation or who fought fires involving DU munitions;
- Level III - personnel involved in all other exposures (incidental in nature, e.g. driving by a vehicle struck by DU.)
U.S. DOD: no uranium contained in guided bombs and cruise missiles used in Iraq and Afghanistan
In a letter to Senator Jon Kyl dated Aug. 25, 2004, Glenn F. Lamartin, Director Defense Systems at the U.S. DOD, confirmed that "none of the guided bombs or cruise missiles that the U.S. used in Iraq and Afghanistan contained uranium of any type".> Download facsimile of DOD letter (PDF, posted with permission)
UNEP to study environment in Iraq
Scientists will begin investigating environmental "hot spots" in Iraq as part of a long-term strategy to clean up the country after ten years of war and instability, the U.N. Environment Program said on Sep. 14, 2004. The work will begin soon, a spokesman said.The agency also has been asked by the Iraqi government to investigate possible pollution by depleted uranium ordnance used to pierce tank armor during the 1991 Gulf War and the latest war. The British government has given the agency detailed information on locations where it used 1.9 tonnes of depleted uranium in the south of Iraq, but the U.S. government hasn't come forward with the same information despite requests from the United Nations.
The Japanese government has funded much of the US$4.7 million (Euro 3.8 million) project, which will be coordinated by the Nairobi-based U.N. agency and implemented by the Iraqi Ministry of the Environment. Samples - collected by Iraqi experts - will be evaluated by the U.N. Environment Program's Post-Conflict Assessment Unit in Geneva. The project will concentrate on at least five sites, including the Al-Mishaq Sulfur State Company, the Midland Refinery Stores, Al-Suwaira Seed Stores, sites were oil pipelines have been sabotaged and scrap metal yards where destroyed military vehicles have been taken. (AP Sep. 14, 2004)
DU study commissioned for 1000 Italian soldiers in Iraq
On June 29, 2004, Italian military authorities have announced the commissioning of a medical follow-up study of 1000 Italian soldiers deployed to Iraq, to determine the hazards from exposure to depleted uranium. The announcement was made by general Michele Donvito during a hearing before the defense commission of the deputy chamber of the Italian parliament. The study will begin in August 2004 and will last 18 months. First results are expected early in 2006. (Le Monde July 13, 2004; La Repubblica July 26, 2004) > Transcript of June 29, 2004, Defense Commission hearing: View HTML · Download PDF (in Italian)
Minuscule amounts of DU found in urine of civilians and US soldiers in Iraq
Urine samples of Iraqi civilians and US military personnel in Iraq were found to contain total uranium in a range of 1.1 to 65.3 nanograms per litre, of which 0.2 to approx. 10 percent was depleted uranium.The samples were analyzed by Dr Axel Gerdes at the Institute of Mineralogy of the University of Frankfurt am Main (Germany) using extremely sensitive multi-collector mass spectrometry. Detailed results have not been published yet.
> Download University of Frankfurt am Main release, April 2, 2004
(PDF, in German) Some details of the data on the US military personnel were published in a conference poster: It shows the data for 9 military persons; DU was found in 4 of these. Total uranium ranged from 1.6 - 6.2 ng/L. In the DU-positive samples, DU ranged from 0.12 - 0.87 ng/L, comprising 4.2% - 22.8% of total uranium.
Quantitative Analysis of Concentration and Ratios of Uranium Isotopes in the US Military Personnel at Samawah, Iraq During Operation Enduring Freedom, by A. Durakovic, A. Gerdes, I. Zimmerman, F. Klimaschewski; Poster presented at European Radiation Research 2004 - The 33rd Annual Meeting of the European Society for Radiation Biology - August 25-28, 2004, Budapest.The corresponding radiation doses from inhalation of DU were very low: assuming that the samples were collected half a year after exposure, the radiation dose received can be determined as less than 0.025 mSv, even for the worst case that all material inhaled was Type S (slowly soluble).
Details of the data on Iraqi civilians are to be presented at a conference; some figures are available from the abstract: total uranium in all 15 samples was 24.3 +/- 4.6 ng/L. DU was found in 5 samples, at an average concentration of 1.2 ng/L, comprising 5% of total uranium. U-236 was found in 8 samples, at a concentration of approx. 0.74 ppm.
Uranium Isotopes Bioassay in the Civilians of Baghdad and Al Basra after Operation Iraqi Freedom, by Asaf Durakovic, Axel Gerdes, Isaac Zimmerman; Paper to be presented at Radiological Society of North America 90th Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, Nov. 28, 2004, Chicago.The corresponding radiation dose from single inhalation can be estimated at approx. 0.03 mSv, assuming inhalation of pure Type S material, and that the urine samples were taken half a year after exposure.
The elevated concentration of U-236 found in 8 samples, though higher than expected in natural uranium, is only about half of what would be expected if the 5% DU fraction found in the total uranium were attributed to material used by the U.S. for the manufacture of DU weapons (containing approx. 0.003% U-236).
New paper by Dan Fahey addresses unresolved issues regarding depleted uranium and veterans' health
> See here
Third partial disclosure of amount of DU used in Iraq
At the occasion of a DU conference held at MIT on March 6, 2004, Michael Kilpatrick, Deputy Director of Deployment Health Support in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, presented an accounting of DU use in Iraq. He stated the Air Force (A-10) shot 103 short tons of DU, and the Army (M1A2 tanks, Bradley Fighting Vehicles) shot 24 short tons of DU. This equates to approximately 115,000 kg/DU. He stated the Marine Corps has not yet released information about how much its forces shot (AV-8B, M1A2s, LAVs). Based on this information, it is reasonable to assume that somewhere between 120,000 and 140,000 kg/DU was shot by US forces during the war.
Fewer than 10 British Gulf war troops had uranium poisoning
Fewer than 10 of the 70,000 British troops involved in operations in Iraq over the past 11 months have tested positive for signs of depleted uranium (DU) contamination, according to figures obtained by The Herald. All of those affected were hit by shrapnel from DU tank or aircraft cannon shells during "friendly fire" incidents in the advance on Basra.Every serviceman or woman who took part in last year's Iraq campaign or has since been posted to Basra on garrison duty has been offered the chance of supplying a urine sample to determine whether there is DU in his or her body. An MoD spokeswoman said only 275 have submitted samples. All have tested negative for contamination. (Glasgow Herald Feb. 5, 2004)
No elevated levels of uranium in urine of Australian servicemen returned from Afghanistan and Iraq
Negligible quantities of depleted uranium have shown up in tests of Australian servicemen who fought in Afghanistan and Iraq, the government said. Veterans Affairs Minister Danna Vale said all the personnel who went to Iraq and Afghanistan had been briefed on the potential health risks of depleted uranium before deployment then tested for exposure on their return. "All tests conducted to date have been within the normal range."A spokeswoman for Mrs Vale said urine samples provided by returned soldiers had been analysed by the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO). She said ANSTO's reference range for so-called normal urine uranium concentrations in spot samples was below 50 parts per trillion [ng/l]. "None of the currently tested defence urine samples are above that range," she said. (The Age, Sep. 24, 2003)
See also: Question No. 2233, COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES , Votes and Proceedings, Hansard, 18 SEPTEMBER 2003, p. 19742-19743
IAEA confirms: Iraq was developing DU weapons
In an answer to an inquiry by Dan Fahey, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed on July 28, 2003, that Iraq had been developing depleted uranium weapons:"... the former government of Iraq started a programme for the development of depleted uranium weapons but only produced about 10 rounds. Two or three of which were fired in a test and the others are under the control of the Iraq Action Team."The inquiry was based on a December 2002 fact sheet
from IAEA, indicating Iraq may have been experimenting with the development of DU munitions and counterweights. Iraq was reported to have “processed uranium dioxide to produce UF4, uranium metal and UF6,” and “casted a uranium sphere of about five centimeters diameter, several hemispheres of similar size and a small number of rods weighing 1.2 kg per piece, from which to machine ‘sub-calibre munitions.’”
Second partial disclosure of amount of DU used in Iraq
In a letter to Jack Cohen-Joppa, dated July 14, 2003, U.S. Senator Jon Kyl writes:"To date, U.S. Army data shows that 2,466 depleted uranium (DU) tank rounds (M829A1) were expended during Operation Iraqi Freedom, in all of Iraq (about 24 tons). I caution that these statistics are preliminary and the operation is ongoing. The Army is currently unable to provide the number of expended 25 mm depleted uranium rounds from Bradley vehicles, nor a specific number of rounds fired in Baghdad."> Download facsimile of Jon Kyl letter (PDF, posted with permission)
Note: 24 tons are equivalent to 21.8 metric tonnes, but with a DU weight of 4.64 kg per M829A1 round, 2,466 rounds have a weight of 11.4 metric tonnes.
Dan Fahey presents assessment of Depleted Uranium Use in the 2003 Iraq War
"SUMMARYThe Use of Depleted Uranium in the 2003 Iraq War: An Initial Assessment of Information and Policies, by Dan Fahey, June 24, 2003
During the 2003 Iraq War, United States and United Kingdom armed forces shot ammunition made from depleted uranium (DU) at a wide variety of targets. Although there is little known about the actual quantities of DU released or the locations of contamination, it appears approximately 100 to 200 metric tons was shot at tanks, trucks, buildings and people in largely densely populated areas. The US and UK governments have announced they will medically test veterans who were exposed to DU, but the lack of a coherent environmental policy is likely resulting in Iraqi civilians and relief and development workers being unnecessarily exposed to DU contamination. Further policy action and additional research are needed to resolve the uncertainties regarding the use and effects of DU munitions in the 2003 Iraq War."
> Download full report (PDF 114k)
First partial disclosure of amount of DU used in Iraq
"In the first partial Pentagon disclosure of the amount of DU used in Iraq, a US Central Command spokesman told the Monitor that A-10 Warthog aircraft [...] fired 300,000 bullets. The normal combat mix for these 30-mm rounds is five DU bullets to 1 - a mix that would have left about 75 tons [68 metric tonnes] of DU in Iraq." (The Christian Science Monitor May 15, 2003)In the unclassified report "Operation IRAQI FREEDOM – By The Numbers, Assessment and Analysis Division, 30 April 2003, by T. MICHAEL MOSELEY, Lt Gen, USAF Commander", the number of 30-mm rounds spent is more precisely given as 311,597.
> Download US Central Air Forces report
(432k PDF)
UK Royal Society calls on coalition forces to reveal where DU has been used in Iraq
"The Royal Society, the UK’s national science academy, today (24 April 2003) called on coalition forces to reveal where and how much depleted uranium was used in the conflict in Iraq, so that an effective clean-up and monitoring programme of both soldiers and civilians can begin. It also highlighted the need to obtain further data on the exposure levels that can occur on the battlefield and in residential areas."> View Royal Society release Apr. 24, 2003
British soldiers returning from Iraq offered DU tests
British Soldiers returning from Iraq are being offered tests for the level of depleted uranium in their bodies to assess the risks of kidney damage and lung cancer. The UK Ministry of Defence confirmed that the urine tests are being made available after the Royal Society, Britain's foremost scientific body, warned that soldiers and civilians could have been exposed to dangerous levels.About 45,000 British servicemen and women have been involved in the Gulf conflict, of which about 26,000 have been land forces. The Ministry of Defence said that it would publish the test results and would release details of where depleted uranium weapons had been used. (The Independent April 25, 2003)
UNEP releases desk study on environment in postwar Iraq
On April 24, 2003, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) released its desk study on the environment in postwar Iraq."[...] Another priority activity should be conducting a scientific assessment of sites struck with weapons containing depleted uranium (DU). The report recommends that guidelines be distributed immediately to military and civilian personnel, and to the general public, on how to minimize the risk of accidental exposure to DU." (from UNEP release Apr. 24, 2003)
> Download: Desk Study on the Environment in Iraq, April 2003 (9.4MB PDF)
UK MoD to aid Iraq DU removal
The UK Government says it will help to clean up depleted uranium (DU) ammunition in Iraq. A spokeswoman for the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) told BBC News Online: "Legally, we have no obligation to clean up the remains of the DU we used. It's the responsibility of the new regime in Baghdad. But morally we do recognise an obligation, as we have in the past. We helped in the removal of DU from Kosovo. We'll be helping in any way we can, specifically by providing money for the clean-up, and by making available records of where the ammunition was fired." (BBC News April 23, 2003)
UK Royal Society calls for cleanup of depleted uranium munitions in Iraq
Hundreds of tonnes of depleted uranium used by Britain and the United States in Iraq should be removed to protect the civilian population, the Royal Society said, contradicting Pentagon claims it was not necessary.Professor Brian Spratt, chairman of the Royal Society working group on depleted uranium: "We recommend that fragments of depleted uranium penetrators should be removed, and areas of contamination should be identified and, where necessary, made safe." He added: "We also recommend long-term sampling, particularly of water and milk, to detect any increase in uranium levels in areas where depleted uranium has been used. This provides a cost-effective method of monitoring sensitive components in the environment, and of providing information about uranium levels to concerned local populations." (Guardian April 17, 2003)
> View Royal Society statement on use of depleted uranium munitions in Iraq, 15 April 2003
> See also: UK Royal Society releases DU report
US rejects Iraq depleted uranium clean-up
The US says it has no plans to remove the debris left over from depleted uranium (DU) weapons it is using in Iraq. It says no clean-up is needed, because research shows DU has no long-term effects.A Pentagon spokesman, Lieutenant-Colonel David Lapan, told BBC News Online: "Since then there've been a number of studies - by the UK's Royal Society and the World Health Organisation, for example - into the health risks of DU, or the lack of them. [...] One thing we've found in these various studies is that there are no long-term effects from DU. And given that, I don't believe we have any plans for a DU clean-up in Iraq."
(BBC News April 14, 2003)
UNEP recommends studies of depleted uranium in Iraq
The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) said on April 6, 2003, that a scientific assessment of sites targeted with weapons containing depleted uranium (DU) should be conducted in Iraq.> View UNEP release April 6, 2003
IPPNW calls for halt of DU ammunition use in Iraq
International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW) is calling for a halt of depleted ammunition use in the war in Iraq. Various press reports indicated that DU ammunition has been used at several occasions during the current war in Iraq. IPPNW also demands that the burden of proof for the long-term impacts of DU ammunition use should be reversed: the U.S. and British governments should present proof for the stated harmlessness of the DU ammunitions. IPPNW release April 4, 2003 (in German)
British troops start test-firing DU munitions in Kuwait
Depleted uranium rounds were being fired on March 14, 2003, in Kuwait as British troops acclimatised their tanks to desert conditions. Tanks from the Scots Dragoon Guards were expected to carry out firing training on the tank ranges near Camp Coyote, the camp nearest to the Iraq-Kuwait border. (Scotsman March 14, 2003)
| Gulf War (1991) |
Department of Veterans Affairs denies presumption of service for illnesses caused from exposure to depleted uranium
"As required by law, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) hereby gives notice that the Secretary of Veterans Affairs [...] has determined not to establish a presumption of service connection at this time, based on exposure to depleted uranium in the Persian Gulf during the Persian Gulf War, for any of the diseases, illnesses, or health effects discussed in the July 30, 2008, report of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), titled Gulf War and Health: Updated Literature Review of Depleted Uranium. [...]" Federal Register: March 9, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 45) p. 10867-10871 (download full text )
> View/download report Gulf War and Health: Updated Literature Review of Depleted Uranium , Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy Press, 2008, 264 p.
Exposure to depleted uranium in 1991 Gulf War killed UK soldier - inquest rules
A Black Country soldier died as a result of exposure to depleted uranium during the first Gulf War, an inquest has ruled. Stuart Dyson, of Cherwell Drive, Brownhills, formerly a Lance Corporal in the Royal Pioneer Corps, died of colon cancer in June last year aged only 39. His family has sought to prove his belief that he was dying because of being exposed to the lethal substance while cleaning tanks in the Gulf between January and May 1991. A jury, sitting at Smethwick Council House, heard medical evidence that cancer-inducing particles from uranium in tank shells had been breathed in and swallowed by Mr Dyson and that the onset of cancer in such cases could typically take ten years to show. (Birmingham Post, Sep 11 2009)
Gulf War syndrome does not exist, a study sponsored by the U.S. Veterans Administration finds
Gulf War and Health: Volume 4. Health Effects of Serving in the Gulf War, Committee on Gulf War and Health: A Review of the Medical Literature Relative to the Gulf War Veterans' Health, 310 p., The National Academies Press, Washington, D.C., 2006> Download Summary
(504k PDF)> Read full text online
(NAP)
Sandia releases study on health effects of DU exposure during 1991 Gulf War
Sandia National Laboratories has completed a two-year study of the potential health effects associated with accidental exposure to depleted uranium (DU) during the 1991 Gulf War.The study concludes that the reports of serious health risks from DU exposure are not supported by veteran medical statistics nor supported by this analysis. Only a few U.S. veterans in vehicles accidentally struck by DU munitions are predicted to have inhaled sufficient quantities of DU particulate to incur any significant health risk. For these individuals, DU-related risks include the possibility of temporary kidney damage and about a 1 percent chance of fatal cancer.
Health risks for Iraqi civilians are predicted to be very small, and claims of observable increases in leukemia and birth defects from DU exposure are not supported by this study. The highest health risk for civilians was for children playing in DU-contaminated vehicles. The nominal radiation-induced fatal cancer risk for these children was 0.1%.
> View Sandia release July 21, 2005
An Analysis of Uranium Dispersal and Health Effects Using a Gulf War Case Study, by Albert C. Marshall, SANDIA REPORT SAND2005-4331, July 2005
> Download full report (2M PDF)
Advisory Committee report links Gulf War Syndrome to exposure to neurotoxins
On Nov. 12, 2004, the Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses released its 2004 Report and Recommendations, commissioned by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.According to the report, evidence supports a probable link between exposure to neurotoxins, such as the nerve agent sarin, and the development of Gulf War veterans' illnesses.
New test finds no depleted uranium in urine of British Gulf War veterans
In 2004 the independent Depleted Uranium Oversight Board (DUOB) launched a programme of voluntary retrospective testing for depleted uranium (DU) in urine for those who served in the 1990/1991 Gulf Conflict and UK military operations in the former Yugoslavia.As of 25 October 2005, 280 samples had been tested, and none were found to contain DU. The rate of applications for the test has fallen - only nine have been received over the last three months. Consequently the DUOB have decided to end the testing programme, and have asked that any further applications are received by 31 January 2006. (MoD Nov. 7, 2005)
According to an article in The Times of Sep. 23, 2004, Britain is to test thousands of veterans of the 1991 Gulf War who have suffered a range of unexplained ailments for the possible presence of depleted uranium in their bodies. Four clinics will undertake the tests in a fresh attempt to explain so-called Gulf War Syndrome. David Coggan, the scientist overseeing the programme, told the Times that the new tests would be able to detect any amounts of depleted uranium in veterans' urine sufficient to cause ill-health. The tests would be sufficiently "sensitive and accurate" to uncover even "tiny traces" of uranium, he told the paper. (AFP Sep. 23, 2004)
No excess uranium found in urine of French veterans of 1991 Gulf War
In the course of a study among French veterans on the health impacts from the 1991 Gulf War, the urine of 110 veterans was tested for uranium. No "anomaly" was found. > View French Ministry of Defense release July 13, 2004 (in French, includes links to full report)
Enlarged cohort study of 1991 Gulf War veterans confirms earlier findings on uranium in urine
In a study of 227 U.S. veterans of the 1991 Gulf War, depleted uranium in urine was only found with 3 veterans who had embedded DU shrapnel from "friendly fire" incidents. An isotopic analysis for uranium was only performed for 21 of those 22 veterans who had total uranium in urine higher than 0.05 micrograms per gram creatinine. The urine samples were collected between Jan. 2000 and Dec. 2002.This confirms the result of an earlier study on 169 veterans.
Biologic monitoring for urinary uranium in Gulf War I veterans, by Melissa A. McDiarmid, Katherine Squibb, and Susan M. Engelhardt; in: Health Physics, Vol. 87 (2004), No. 1 (July), p. 51-56Urinary uranium concentrations in an enlarged Gulf War veteran cohort, by Melissa A. McDiarmid, Susan M. Engelhardt, and Marc Oliver; in: Health Physics, Vol. 80 (2001), No. 3 (March), p. 270-273
UK Gulf War veterans to abandon legal battle for compensation claims
An eight-year, multimillion pound legal battle by more than 2,000 veterans for compensation for Gulf war syndrome has collapsed because there is not enough scientific evidence to prove their case in court.The Legal Services Commission (LSC), which is estimated to have spent around £4m on the case, is expected to withdraw legal aid this month after being told by the veterans' lawyers that the action has no real chance of success.
To succeed in their claim against the Ministry of Defence, the veterans would have to produce scientific evidence not only that their illness was caused by their service in the 1991 Gulf war, but also that the MoD had been negligent. The burden of proof would be on them as claimants to prove their case.
More than 2,000 Gulf veterans have been awarded "no fault" war pensions, granted to those whose health has been affected by war service. This week the first war pension for the effects of depleted uranium was awarded to a former soldier, Kenny Duncan, who claimed he was poisoned from inhaling DU dust from burnt-out tanks.
But winning a war pension is no pointer to success in a high court compensation claim. The burden of proof is reversed in pension cases, putting the onus on the MoD to prove the illness is not linked to Gulf service, and there is no need to prove negligence. (The Guardian Feb. 5, 2004)
Pension award for British soldier's depleted uranium poisoning claim
Scots ex-soldier Kenny Duncan has become the first veteran to win a pension appeal after being diagnosed with depleted uranium (DU) poisoning during the 1991 Gulf war.Mr Duncan's case relied on blood tests carried out by Dr Albrecht Schott, a German biochemist, which revealed chromosome aberrations caused by ionising radiation.
Dr Schott's research formed part of a study of 16 British veterans of conflicts in the Gulf, Bosnia, and Kosovo. The test results were dismissed by the MoD as "neither well thought out nor scientifically sound". (Glasgow Herald, Feb. 4, 2004)
No increased cancer incidence in British 1991 Gulf war soldiers
British veterans of the 1991 Gulf war do not have a higher risk of cancer than other soldiers. Macfarlane and colleagues analysed data from a cohort study including more than 100,000 soldiers serving in 1991, half of them Gulf war veterans. Gulf war veterans had the same overall and organ specific risk of cancer as other soldiers, even after lifestyle and alcohol consumption had been adjusted for. Adjustment for self reported exposure to multiple vaccinations, pesticides, and depleted uranium did not increase the risk of cancer in Gulf war veterans. The long latent period for cancer, however, necessitates the continued follow up of these cohorts.Incidence of cancer among UK Gulf war veterans: cohort study, by Gary J Macfarlane, Anne-Marie Biggs, Noreen Maconochie, Matthew Hotopf, Patricia Doyle, Mark Lunt, in: British Medical Journal
IAEA investigation finds DU no threat in Kuwait
An IAEA investigation in Kuwait has found that depleted uranium (DU) from munitions used in the 1991 Gulf War does not pose a radiological hazard to the people of Kuwait.At the request of the Kuwait Government, in February 2002 the Agency sent a team of senior international experts to assess possible long-term radiological impacts of DU residues at 11 locations in Kuwait.
> View IAEA release June 13, 2003 · Download Executive Summary of Report (10k PDF)
> Download full report (1.2M PDF)
Australian Gulf War Veterans' Health Study finds no DU link
Australian Gulf War Veterans' Health Study 2003, Commonwealth Department of Veterans' Affairs, (3 volumes) > View Summary and download full study
New research examines possible link between depleted uranium and Gulf War Syndrome
Scientists at the Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute (LRRI) in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA, are studying a possible link between between depleted uranium and Gulf War Syndrome. Scientists believe nasal and respiratory irritation caused by desert sand storms and oil field fires during Operation Desert Storm, may have weakened the nose/brain barrier and allowed depleted uranium to enter the central nervous system of soldiers in the field resulting in slowly developing neurotoxic responses. > Scientists Study Depleted Uranium link to Gulf War Syndrome (LRRI)
Small study finds DU in Gulf War veterans
A small study of British, Canadian and US veterans with Gulf War illness found that just over half (14 of 27) tested positive for depleted uranium in urine. The study did not include a control group of people who were not veterans of the Gulf War. (Reuters Sep 10, 2002)Horan P, Dietz L, Durakovic A: The quantitative analysis of depleted uranium isotopes in British, Canadian, and U.S. Gulf War veterans. Military Medicine
No depleted uranium found in Canadian Forces personnel who served in the Gulf War and in Kosovo
> see here
UN General Assembly rejects request to study DU weapons' health effects in Iraq
On Nov. 29, 2001, the General Assembly of the United Nations rejected an Iraqi proposal that the UN study the effects of the depleted-uranium shells used by US-led forces in the 1991 Gulf War. The General Assembly voted down the Iraqi plan 45-54, with 45 abstentions. The assembly's committee on disarmament and international security had approved the plan earlier the same month, 49-45. (Boston Globe Nov. 30, 2001)
U.S. VA: Illnesses Not Associated With Service in the Gulf
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has determined that there is "no basis to establish a presumption of service connection for any disease based on service in the Persian Gulf during the Persian Gulf War".> download Federal Register: July 6, 2001 (Vol. 66, No. 130), p. 35702-35710
WHO to probe Depleted Uranium in Iraq
On Sep. 5, 2001, the WHO team returned from Baghdad.> View WHO release Sep. 5, 2001
On Aug. 28, 2001, a six member WHO team began investigating claims that cancer rates and birth defects in Iraq have increased due to depleted uranium in ammunition used during the 1991 Gulf War. (AP Aug. 28, 2001)
The World Health Organisation said on Aug. 23, 2001, it would meet Iraqi experts in Baghdad from August 27-31, 2001, to firm up planned research into cancers which Baghdad blames on Allied use of depleted uranium in the 1991 Gulf War. The talks follow a formal invitation received from the Iraqi government. (Reuters Aug. 23, 2001)
> View WHO release Aug. 23, 2001
A team of World Health Organization officials will arrive in Iraq in March 2001 to analyze whether there is a link between the use of depleted uranium shells in the Gulf War and cancer or birth defect rates in this part of Iraq. (Washington Post March 15, 2001)
At Baghdad's request, the World Health Organization intends to send a team to Iraq to study the health impact of depleted uranium from munitions used during the Gulf War a decade ago, a U.N. spokesman said on Thursday. The U.N. Environmental Program (UNEP) and the International Atomic Energy Agency also said on Thursday they would consider requests for fact-finding missions to Iraq as well as Bosnia and Yugoslavia to study the effects of exposure to depleted uranium. U.N. spokesman Fred Eckhard said the three agencies would coordinate their activities, but no date has yet been set for the Geneva-based WHO team to go to Iraq. (Reuters, Jan. 25, 2001)
U.S. Department of Defence releases second interim Environmental Exposure Report - Depleted Uranium in the Gulf
> View Environmental Exposure Report - Depleted Uranium in the Gulf (II) (December 13, 2000) HOME WISE Uranium Project > Depleted Uranium > Military Use >
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