Poison Dust: More Narrow Focus Foolishness

Here we go again with the Gulf War Syndrome being blamed on depleted uranium.

The military is using depleted uranium as ammunition and warheads, the so-called Gulf War syndrome is actually radiation sickness, and nobody is doing anything to stop it or to help the ill service people.

That is the message in "“Poison Dust,"” a film by the Peoples Video Network shown Sunday during the ongoing Confronting the Issues program at the Town Hall. The films are sponsored by Women Making a Difference, a local nonpartisan group bringing various issues to the public.

This statement is just foolish. Uranium in any form is weekly radioactive. In fact most exposure to uranium will have effects related to the chemical toxicity rather than to radiation. Don't believe me? Read what the World Health Organization has to say on topic.

And just in case you don't like those results, read this paper from the Royal Society. I'll give you the quick conclusions so you don't have to hurt your brain. Part 1 of the paper deals with radiological effects of DU exposure from military munitions.

Except in extreme circumstances any extra risks of developing fatal cancers as a result of radiation from internal exposure to DU arising from battlefield conditions are likely to be so small that they would not be detectable above the general risk of dying from cancer over a normal lifetime.

The greatest exposures will apply only to a very small fraction of the soldiers in a theatre of war, for example those who survive in a vehicle struck by a DU penetrator. In such circumstances, and assuming the most unfavourable conditions, the lifetime risk of death from lung cancer is unlikely to exceed twice that in the general population.

Any extra risks of death from leukaemia, or other cancers, as a result of exposure to DU are estimated to be substantially lower than the risks of death from lung cancer. Under all likely exposure scenarios the extra lifetime risks of fatal leukaemia are predicted to be too small to be observable.

Many soldiers on a battlefield may be exposed to small amounts of DU and the risks of cancer from such exposures are predicted to be very low. Even if the estimates of risk for these conditions are one hundred times too low, it is unlikely that any excess of fatal cancer would be detected within a cohort of 10,000 soldiers followed over 50 years.

Epidemiological studies complement assessments of actual exposures and radiation risks. Although epidemiological studies of occupational exposure to uranium are not sensitive enough to detect small increases in overall risks of cancer, they nevertheless tend to confirm the calculations of the risks derived from estimates of actual exposures to DU.

The problem with the type of propaganda in the title article, is that it fails to understand the complete environment to which Gulf War Veterans were exposed too. The commonality of DU is not the only likely factor for the military or civilians in Iraq. There were known releases of WMD toxins in several areas where munitions dumps were destroyed. The effects of exposures to these agents is far less understood than exposure to DU. Could DU be a factor? Certainly, but with present analysis and research it doesn't appear likely that it is the primary cause.

This is all speaking to legislation before Congress. HB 202 and HB 2410. Unfortunately, both bills are too narrowly focused just on DU. A more reasonable proposal would have required a study on exposure to DU and any/all other hazardous agents in the theater. It also appears to me that they are asking for research on specific exposure scenarios that will be nearly impossible to detail. From HB 2410:

(b) Uranium-Exposed Veterans- In this section, the term `uranium-exposed veteran' means a member or former member of the United States Armed Forces who handled, came in contact with, or had the likelihood of contact with depleted uranium munitions while on active duty, including members and former members who--

(1) were exposed to smoke from fires resulting from the burning of vehicles containing depleted uranium munitions or fires at depots at which depleted uranium munitions were stored;

(2) worked within environments containing depleted uranium dust or residues from depleted uranium munitions;

(3) were within a structure or vehicle while it was struck by a depleted uranium munition;

(4) climbed on or entered equipment or structures struck by a depleted uranium munition; or

(5) were medical personnel who provided initial treatment to members of the Armed Forces described in paragraph (1), (2), (3), or (4).

These scenarios won't be able to make any form of exposure estimates that are anything but SWAG. (scientific wild ass guesses) Bio-assays today won't provide you with sufficient information on actual exposures when they occurred. And studies of the exposed areas where DU munitions were used probably won't give any useful data either considering there have been 2 wars fought in that theater with DU munitions and that more than 10 years have passed since the first exposures in Iraq.

An interesting site discussing DU and Gulf War Syndrome doesn't have any evidence for DU being the cause, but does outline other hazards that the military were exposed to.

While multiple federally funded studies of the role of stress in the illnesses have been done, basic toxicological questions regarding the substance to which they were exposed remain unanswered. To date there are no clear indications of what may cause the collection of symptoms appearing in veterans who served in the Persian Gulf. However, it is known that the troops were exposed to a variety of toxic agents and hazardous substances, any one of which - alone or in a combination with the others - may be responsible for the illnesses reported by thousands of veterans. Those agents and substances include, but may not be limited to:

• multiple vaccinations again anthrax and botulinum toxoid
• medical treatment with pyridostigmine bromide to counter effects of potential chemical exposure
• petroleum from oil fires
• pesticides and insect repellents
• tropical parasites such as leishmaniasis
• depleted uranium dust and shrapnel from DU ammunition and armor
  

There are more details on the numbers of personnel exposed to some of these agents and some of the known effects.

Since Gulf War Syndrome is a prevalent disease for veterans, you'd think that the least that the military/government could do is make a reasonable and scientific study of the issue rather than going off half cocked on one of the toxic agents. The reports that are being called for in these bills will more likely provide little or no comprehensive understanding of what caused the syndrome, and will thus just be a waste of time and money.