Re: Re DU source and Gulf Illness

[BERNARD L COHEN <blc+@PITT.EDU>]

	According to published studies, only about 1% of the radiation

came from elements other than uranium.

	There are numerous possible non-radiation causes of the illness.

Why pick on radiation, the one potential cause that is very well

understood and quantified? In fact it is not very clear that there were

additional ilnesses to explain.



Bernard L. Cohen

Physics Dept.

University of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, PA 15260

Tel: (412)624-9245

Fax: (412)624-9163

e-mail: blc@pitt.edu





On Thu, 10 Apr 2003 Lessler.Richard@epamail.epa.gov wrote:



> Bob,  In response to your reply to me, if reactor DU is used in

> weapon/missiles, is it possible that some radioactive impurity could

> fractionate out after the explosion and be concentrated enough so that

> it might be the cause of the Gulf illness?  Or could Quality Assurance

> have slipped up in some batches so impurities could be present at

> greater than ppb? Could the Gulf locations where the reactor DU was

> exploded be distinguished from the non reactor DU locations to see if

> there is a correlation between illness in areas where the reactor DU was

> used and where the non reactor DU was used?  This is a long shot but

> nothing else has worked so far to explain the Gulf illnesses.   Richard

> Lessler

>

>

> Date: Wed, 9 Apr 2003 15:51:02 EDT

> From: BobCherry@AOL.COM

> Subject: Re: DU Source

>

> - --part1_1f0.64bce10.2bc5d3a6_boundary

> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

> Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

>

> In a message dated 4/9/2003 1:01:13 PM Central Daylight Time,

> Lessler.Richard@epamail.epa.gov writes:

>

> > What is the source of the depleted uranium used in the

> weapons/missiles?

> > Is it the remains of the uranium after U-235 is removed in which case

> it

> > should not cause any radiation problem?  Or is it from the U-238 that

> > has been irradiated in a reactor to produce plutonium?

>

> The DU that DOD uses comes from both DOE's enrichment facilities and its

>

> reactors. The amount of Tc-99 and transuranics in the DU is on the order

> of

> parts per billion, which increases its radioactivity by less than one

> percent. Note that the transuranics have virtually the same chemical

> properties as uranium. Therefore, this trace contamination has no

> measurable

> effect on DU's chemical and radiological toxicities.

>

> Bob C

>

>

> ************************************************************************

> You are currently subscribed to the Radsafe mailing list. To unsubscribe,

> send an e-mail to Majordomo@list.vanderbilt.edu  Put the text "unsubscribe

> radsafe" (no quote marks) in the body of the e-mail, with no subject line.

> You can view the Radsafe archives at http://www.vanderbilt.edu/radsafe/

>

>



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

You are currently subscribed to the Radsafe mailing list. To unsubscribe,

send an e-mail to Majordomo@list.vanderbilt.edu  Put the text "unsubscribe

radsafe" (no quote marks) in the body of the e-mail, with no subject line.

You can view the Radsafe archives at http://www.vanderbilt.edu/radsafe/