RE: more on DU

["Otto G. Raabe" <ograabe@UCDAVIS.EDU>]

December 17, 2002

Davis, CA



There is no need to discuss the internal radiation dose from depleted

uranium because the half life of U-238 is 4.5 billion years which makes its

specific activity tiny. Heavy metal poisoning in possible at really high

intakes, but the radiation dose is really irrelevant. 



Ingestion is not much of an issue because depleted uranium and its primary

oxides are quite insoluble. Chronic exposure of animals to inhalable

uranium oxide makes their lungs gray, but doesn't cause cancer in any

organs. A 5 micrometer aerodynamic diameter particle of depleted uranium

dioxide will emit only one alpha particle every 100 days. That's not much

compared to the normal alpha radiation exposure of the lung from radon and

its decay products in room air.  Uranium doesn't interfere with any major

biochemical processes, but very high intakes can damage the kidney by heavy

metal effects. Cancer is not a known or expected effect from exposure to

depleted uranium. Overall, uranium is less toxic than lead (uranium

projectile residue is less toxic than lead projectile residue). 



I believe that claims that there is widespread effects including cancer

from exposure to depleted uranium are bogus.



Otto

**********************************************

Prof. Otto G. Raabe, Ph.D., CHP

Center for Health & the Environment

(Street Address: Bldg. 3792, Old Davis Road) 

University of California, Davis, CA 95616

E-Mail: ograabe@ucdavis.edu

Phone: (530) 752-7754   FAX: (530) 758-6140

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