AW: [ RadSafe ] Bob Cherry on pyrophoric uranium munitions

Wed Apr 13 01:29:22 CEST 2005

John, 

Thank you for reminding me and RADSAFE to the fact that the major risk
of uranium exposure is kidney damage because of the chemical properties
of uranium as a heavy metal. US legislation has confirmed that by
limiting U-concentrations in drinking water on the basis of mass
concentrations and not activity concentrations. Unfortunately in Europe
we still have no uranium limits by mass concentrations, but on activity
concentrations. 

The claims of those self announced experts like James Salsman should be
simply ignored. Body burden can be and has been easily assessed by
excretion analysis. There are a lot of reports on that issue. 

Best regards,

Franz

Franz Schoenhofer
PhD, MR iR
Habicherg. 31/7
A-1160 Vienna
AUSTRIA
phone -43-0699-1168-1319

> -----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
> Von: John R Johnson [mailto:idias at interchange.ubc.ca]
> Gesendet: Mittwoch, 13. April 2005 01:12
> An: Franz Schönhofer; 'James Salsman'; radsafe at radlab.nl;
> bobcherry at cox.net
> Betreff: RE: [ RadSafe ] Bob Cherry on pyrophoric uranium munitions
> 
> Franz
> 
> I agree. My "take" on this is
> 
> 1. uranium is pyrophoric
> 
> 2. it will form oxides that are ICRP Type M or S.
> 
> 3. it cannot form a nitrate (ICRP Type F) unless it get into solution
with
> NO(sub3).
> 
> 4. a major risk from exposure to soluble uranium is kidney damage, and
> there
> are many drinking water source with uranium concentrations that will
> result
> in kidney burdens above those possible from inhaled UNO(sub3).
> 
> 5. so what's the issue?
> 
> John
>  _________________
> John R Johnson, Ph.D.
> *****
> President, IDIAS, Inc
> 4535 West 9-Th Ave
> Vancouver B. C.
> V6R 2E2
> (604) 222-9840
> idias at interchange.ubc.ca
> *****
> or most mornings
> Consultant in Radiation Protection
> TRIUMF
> 4004 Wesbrook Mall
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> V6R 2E2
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> Fax: (604) 222-7309
> johnsjr at triumf.ca
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl [mailto:radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl]On
> Behalf Of Franz Schönhofer
> Sent: April 12, 2005 2:40 PM
> To: 'James Salsman'; radsafe at radlab.nl; bobcherry at cox.net
> Subject: AW: [ RadSafe ] Bob Cherry on pyrophoric uranium munitions
> 
> 
> James,
> 
> I have really troubles to understand what you are asking for. Not so
> much that you are asking for detailed information, but that it is
> information which is not at all relevant to your obvious agenda.
Killing
> hundreds of thousands of people in an unjustified and illegal war is
one
> side - come on flamers, I will not react to any flame!!!  - but
blaming
> depleted uranium for a few casualities (which I categorically deny) is
> another case. Especially I find it obscene to mourn a very limited
> numbers of alleged victims of DU while the absolute majority of real
> victims of DU ammunition have been killed instantly and not by what
you
> call poison gas, nitrogen compounds of pyrophoric uranium munition ,
UO3
> species etc. This shows an unexcusable ethnic distain for those Iraqi
> killed. Shame on you.
> 
> You mention "poison gas strictly forbidden by the laws of war" - what
> are these laws of war? Sure not what a so called superpower carries
out
> right now.
> 
> However: That uranium is pyrophoric can be read in any textbook for
> beginners. Pyrophoric means that it reacts with oxygen. The reaction
> products, the uranium oxides are solid products and no gases, but I do
> not exclude that they might be distributed in the vicinity as
aerosols.
> I did not know of a reaction with nitrogen, but to form nitrates would
> be a rather complicated  and unreasonable reaction.
> 
> Please, explain what the laws of war are??? Before talking about DU
you
> should think of the justification of the wars waged by the USA without
> the consent of the UNO and against all the will of the international
> community. Before you blame me (flaming will not be reacted to) read
> your own US- newspapers.
> 
> Your question of nitrogen compounds (as a chemist I do not know of
any)
> and very specially on UO3 species (is it UO3 or not?) leads me to
> conclude that you are just another one of these pseudo-scientists, who
> probably have studied a year of chemistry and now regard themselves as
> the ultimate experts in nuclear issues or whatever else, just as
> required by some umbrella organisation which finances you.
> 
> Nobody finances me, I have no political agenda except my personal
points
> of view, I even pay the costs for this e-mail account myself.
> 
> Could you provide your political agenda clearly, so that we know whom
we
> have to deal with?
> 
> 
> Franz Schoenhofer
> PhD, MR iR
> Habicherg. 31/7
> A-1160 Vienna
> AUSTRIA
> phone -43-0699-1168-1319
> 
> 
> > -----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
> > Von: radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl [mailto:radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl] Im
> > Auftrag von James Salsman
> > Gesendet: Dienstag, 12. April 2005 13:37
> > An: radsafe at radlab.nl; bobcherry at cox.net
> > Betreff: [ RadSafe ] Bob Cherry on pyrophoric uranium munitions
> >
> > Dear Bob Cherry:
> >
> > After reviewing the recent archives of the RADSAFE list, a number
> > of questions arise:
> >
> > 1.  Do you deny that pyrophoric uranium munitions produce poison
gas?
> > If so, on what grounds?
> >
> > 2.  Do you deny that the use of poison gas is strictly forbidden by
> > the laws of war?  If so, on what grounds?
> >
> > 3.  Why has the U.S. Army never attempted to detect nitrogen
compounds
> > in the combustion products of pyrophoric uranium munitions?
> >
> > 4.  Why has the U.S. Army never detected the UO3 species of uranium
> > oxide in the combustion products of pyrophoric uranium munitions?
> >
> > I believe the answer to that last question has to do with the fact
> > that the less dense oxides, like the nitrogen compounds, waft up and
> > disperse over a much wider area than the denser oxides.  And, sadly,
> > the U.S. Army has only tested open-air, unenclosed burns of their
> > pyrophoric uranium munitions.
> >
> > Now, having said all that, I feel that it is important that you know
> > I have not yet formed an opinion on the use of uranium in armor, but
> > I fear it would be easy for a sophisticated adversary to ignite.
> >
> > Sincerely,
> > James Salsman
> >
> >
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> 
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