[ RadSafe ] Fwd: ruling out uranium vapor with x-rays

[Ben Fore]

Steve,

Thank you for your reply.  I have a number of questions about
your comments.

Do you have any doubt that uranium combustion products are
teratogenic?  We have, for years, discussed several studies
including the work of the U.S. Navy, Army, epidemiologist M.D.s,
and reproductive health M.D.s, all writing in peer reviewed
journals saying that it is.  On the other side, there have been
absolutely no peer-reviewed medical or scientific journal articles
stating that uranium combustion products are not teratogenic.
Do you deny this?  If so, on what basis?

You say that Dr. Johnson's statements --
in http://lists.radlab.nl/pipermail/radsafe/2006-March/002280.html
-- are not calling for a study of uranium teratology?  You wrote,
"In March 2006 he didn't ask for a study of teratology, so no one
could have 'joined the call' to study it."

On the contrary, that message contains:

>> Will Robert Cherry and John R. Johnson join me in calling
>> for immediate chromosome aberration analysis of several
>> species of mammals exposed to depleted uranium combustion
>> product inhalation in order to empirically judge the genotoxic
>> effects of uranium combustion product inhalation poisoning?

Dr. Johnson's reply is:

> Yes, provided the "depleted uranium combustion product" is actually
> from a DU weapon, and not formulated for the animal experiments.

Dr. Johnson stands far and away above the vast majority of
radiation protection professionals who have been assigned to
work on the safety of uranium munition in calling for these
studies.  They still have scientists who care about science in
Canada.

Someday history will look back and wonder why there was such
silence in the health physics community.  That silence forces
those who wish to evaluate the extent of the teratogenicity away
from quantitative reasoning.

Some people say that I am "anti-DU" -- but how can I know
whether I am for or against a substance for which nobody yet
knows the extent of its harm?

And why have you not yet joined the call to quantify that harm?

James Salsman, as Ben Fore