[ RadSafe ] Re: is uranyl oxide gas the greatest threat from the actinides?

[James Salsman]

> Isn't there some dark corner of history where humans got
> involved with exposure to chemical teratogens?

How could anyone forget thalidomide?  Here are two histories, 
American and European:

http://college.hmco.com/history/readerscomp/women/html/wh_036900_thalidomide.htm

http://www.thalidomide.ca/en/information/history_of_thalidomide.html

I guess we all can't wait to find out whether uranyl poisoning 
causes second generation birth defects.  Thalidomide does not.  

The biggest problem in terms of dollars, I predict, will be the 
treatment of immune system disorders and their congagion 
implications in another 15 years from now.  Also, unless someone 
starts showing the birth defect incidence rate curve over time 
for the children of the exposed fathers, we will have no reason 
not to assume that it is inflected upward.

Sincerely,
James