Request for Info on DU Munitions

["Bob and/or Kathleen" <kmca@mediaone.net>]

Dear Radsafers,

Regarding discussions on DU munitions, and whether they may cause health
effects to individuals, I was wondering if someone on this list could please
direct me to research and/or investigations performed to determine the
byproduct constituents from burning/heat vaporizing DU similar to that used
in munitions tips, and protocols used to determine if these byproducts are
more or less biologically active than the DU solids themselves.  Maybe there
is no relationship, but in considering all of the attention the topic is
receiving, I couldn't help musing that some materials have very different
chemical/biological effects based upon their physical manipulation.  I
confess that this may be totally inapplicable, and probably falls into the
category of comparing apples with oranges, but an example that came to mind
is plastics that are essentially biologically inert, or very
chemically/biologically different, when ingested or inhaled as whole, small,
or even very finely divided dust particles, but with adequate heat applied,
can disassociate into toxins (e.g., cyanides) that are deadly.  I would
appreciate becoming familiar with the research performed on the byproducts
of burning/heat vaporized DU compounds used by the NATO forces, if for no
other reason to confirm to friends and family outside the radiation
protection community that they have been performed.

Kindest regards,

Kathleen McAllister




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