[ RadSafe ] United Nations: "potential harmful effects" of DU to be studied, adjendized

[Dave Blaine]

By a vote of 122-6 (35 abstaining) the United Nations decided last
month to request reports on, and include on their agenda, "effects of
the use of armaments and ammunitions containing depleted
uranium." Against the resolution were the Czech Republic, France,
Israel, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States.  I
presume that this is a new development and not something that happens
every year.

http://daccessdds.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N07/574/73/PDF/N0757473.pdf?OpenElement

Although I can't be certain, it seems as though this was brought about
in part by the testimony of Keith Baverstock, retired after 12 years
from the W.H.O.  He apparently served there under Mike Repacholi, who
produced reports in 2001 which Baverstock now says are skewed against
correctly reporting the health threat, specifically genotoxicity. A
BBC transcript with the details is here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/today/reports/international/uranium_20061101.shtml

Baverstock's testimony to the Belgian government (21 refs.) is here:

http://www.bandepleteduranium.org/en/docs/15.pdf

Would someone please have look at all this to see if it makes any
sense from a toxicological perspective?

On a related note, who knows the vapor pressure, surface tension,
latent heat of vaporization, and the Van der Waals equation's
molecular attraction (a) and volume (b) for the uranium di- and
tri-oxides?  Or if you know any or all of those aren't published,
please let me know asap.

Dave Blaine
-- 
representing only myself; personal opinions only