[ RadSafe ] CB interview on enriched U

[Brennan, Mike (DOH)]

>Mike, are you familiar with the literature reviews on uranium or do you
agree with Dr. Raabe and Lt. Cherry that uranium is not a genotoxin?

First, I will thank you to NOT quote and attribute me with snippets cut
from a sentence.  Quote either the entire paragraph, or leave me out of
it.  I do not trust you to edit my words and maintain my meaning.   

Second, not material to the discussion.  The idea that a lab identified
"enriched uranium", supposedly from projectiles, is absurd.  Either the
people in the lab didn't know what they were doing (possible) or their
results were misrepresented (also possible).  

As to something being a genotoxin, the obvious answer is "it depends".
The best genotoxins are obviously viruses, as they are living (by some
definitions) entities that exist to damage DNA.  There are a vast number
of elements that, depending on the chemical configuration, can damage
DNA.  Oxygen is certainly one of them, when present as a free radical.
Radiation, regardless of source, also has been demonstrated to damage
DNA.  There are, of course, processes within an organism that limits the
damage, either by repairing the DNA or killing the cell.    

If you want to make a case that uranium is more toxic on an atom-by-atom
basis than another element (assuming chemical damage) or that an atom of
a particular isotope of uranium is more toxic than an atom of a
different isotope (assuming radiological damage), be my guest.  This is
clearly a "it depends" situation.  Also, to the extent that uranium that
has been processed is toxic, then the same concentration of natural
uranium is as toxic or (if the processed uranium is depleted) more so
(radiologically).  

I have no idea as to why you think that my having been in the Navy gives
me any pull with an organization that tracks births and infants.  I
wouldn't know where to begin.  

 

-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu
[mailto:radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu] On Behalf Of James Salsman
Sent: Wednesday, October 26, 2011 12:50 PM
To: radsafe at health.phys.iit.edu
Cc: Elena S. Craft; Rita Hindin
Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] CB interview on enriched U

Mike Brennan wrote:

>... those doing [lab work] are unaware of the existence
> of uranium in the environment....

Mike, are you familiar with the literature reviews on uranium or do
you agree with Dr. Raabe and Lt. Cherry that uranium is not a
genotoxin?

Because the Craft et al. review --
http://www.dmzhawaii.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/health-overview-04.p
df
-- from 2004, the Hindin et al. review from 2005, and all subsequent
reviews have agreed with the Health Physics Society figures for
natural occurring uranium in the environment, food and tissue.

Since you were in the Navy, would you please help me with my request
for the statistics subsequent to 2001 from the U.S. Birth and Infant
Health Registry?  I have still not been able to obtain that data.
When do you think the Department of Veterans Affairs will publish
anything about it since
http://web.archive.org/web/20060929095251/http://www1.va.gov/gulfwar/doc
s/GulfWarNov03.pdf
?

Sincerely,
James Salsman
_______________________________________________
You are currently subscribed to the RadSafe mailing list

Before posting a message to RadSafe be sure to have read and understood
the RadSafe rules. These can be found at:
http://health.phys.iit.edu/radsaferules.html

For information on how to subscribe or unsubscribe and other settings
visit: http://health.phys.iit.edu