[ RadSafe ] Study: Local Uranium Traces Exist Long After Exposure

[bobcherry at satx.rr.com]

Dear WTEN, Albany NY:
 
Reference this article on your website:
 
http://www.wten.com/Global/story.asp?S=7446478
 
Study: Local Uranium Traces Exist Long After Exposure
 
I assume that by "trace levels," you mean environmental levels. If you do a follow-up on this story (and I hope you do), you should keep these things in mind:
 
1. All people and animals have trace levels of uranium in their urine, as well as the rest of their bodies, due to natural uranium in the environment.
 
2. It is very difficult to tell depleted uranium apart from natural uranium when both are present at trace levels.
 
3. Trace levels of uranium, depleted or natural, in their bodies cause no harm to people and animals.
 
3. Depleted uranium is 40 percent less radioactive than natural uranium.
 
4. If “the British scientist who headed the study” is who I think he is, he is a well-known activist who makes his living doing what is described in the article. He always finds uranium in urine (see 1 above) and almost always says it is depleted uranium without providing an uncertainty analysis (see 2 above).
 
If you interview "the Briitsh scientist," I encourage you to require him to provide a copy of his laboratory analysis and then take or fax it over to RPI Nuclear Engineering or RPI Physics for their critique of it.
 
I realize journalists' science background is limited. However, it is not hard to find a friendly neighborhood scientist who will help the journalist with the science.
 
Good luck on further investigating your "scoop."
 
Robert N Cherry, Jr, PhD
Certified Health Physicist
Colonel, U.S. Army (retired)
 
PS. If you require my home address, let me know.