[ RadSafe ] pyrophoric uranium considered nonessential

[Otto G. Raabe]

At 03:39 PM 7/6/2005, James Salsman wrote:

>R.J. Ackermann, R.J. Thorn, C. Alexander, and M. Tetenbaum, in "Free
>Energies of Formation of Gaseous Uranium, Molybdenum, and Tungsten
>Trioxides," Journal of Physical Chemistry, vol. 64 (1960) pp. 350-5
>state within their abstract, "gaseous monomeric uranium trioxide is
>the principal species produced by the reaction of U3O8 with oxygen."

No one can inhale monomeric UO3 at 1000 degrees Celsius because it is too 
hot to breath, and the monomeric form tends to change to molecular 
aggregates and decompose during cooling.

Apparently, you did not look up the definition of "toxin" as I recommended, 
because uranium compounds may be toxic but they are not "toxins".

Morrow's study involved specially prepared U03, and did show that it was 
more readily absorbed from the lung than the other oxides, as the 
Department of Defense has clearly noted. However, exposures must be 
gigantic to effect toxic effects, and large exposures to the unstable UO3 
were unlikely to have occurred.

The study of gestational developmental toxicity in mice would indicate the 
a pregnant soldier would have to have an intake off about half a gram every 
day for at least ten days of a highly soluble chemical form of U to cause 
untoward fetal effects. That's an incredibly large dose of soluble uranium. 
That seems incredible, and there no evidence that anyone received such 
large intakes. All of the studies of the soldiers who were exposed showed 
that their intake was relatively small, and it is unlikely that any of 
those soldiers were pregnant at the time of the exposures. In non-pregnant 
soldiers, the only known effects would be to their kidneys. Depleted 
uranium is barely radioactive, and there are no known or expected radiation 
effects from intake of depleted uranium.

There may be a "Gulf War Syndrome" but it is clear from the DOD studies 
that it was not caused by exposure to uranium.

Ottp




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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 at ucdavis.edu
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