[ RadSafe ] pyrophoric uranium considered nonessential

[James Salsman]

Professor Otto Raabe wrote:

> 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.

The temperature of a particle suspended in air has no bearing on
whether or not it can be inhaled.  That is beside the point.

After being thrust into air by a fire, a molecule of UO3(g) is not
likely to collide with more than a few dozen other UO3(g) particles,
and not likely to glom onto any of them until it has had a chance
to cool, and further diffuse into air.  Based on detection patterns
-- from http://www.bovik.org/du/Salbu-uranyl-detected.pdf and Dr.
Johnson's and his colleagues' work -- UO3 readily plates on surfaces
(and therefore lung tissue, where all particles smaller than 0.01
microns are absorbed into the bloodstream immediately), but does not
fall to the ground with the U3O8 and UO2 combustion product dusts.

>.... because uranium compounds may be toxic but they are not "toxins".

According the U.S. N.I.H. National Institute of General Medical
Sciences, a toxin is, "A poisonous substance."
   http://www.nigms.nih.gov/news/science_ed/chemhealth/glossary.html

I realize that Dr. Raabe was hoping that I would use the term
"toxicant," but if he seriously thinks "toxin" is not commonly
used even in the peer-reviewed medical literature to mean poisons
in general, and not just biologically-produced poisons, then
Dr. Raabe should become more familiar with that literature.

> 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....

Dr. Raabe has shown that he is unable to correctly read a medical
study which clearly states that the developmental toxicity of
uranium was tested at several levels, and detected at all levels,
even the smallest tested.  Therefore, Dr. Raabe has no basis to
make any sort of quantitative estimations from that study.
   http://www.bovik.org/du/devtox-mice.pdf

>.... All of the studies of the soldiers who were exposed showed
> that their intake was relatively small....

Indeed, just 0.34 mg inhaled can apparently cause symptoms:
   http://www.bovik.org/du/inhalation-est.pdf

> Where is the study that shows a cause-effect relationship  between
> paternal exposure to uranium and to birth defects in offspring? 

http://www.bovik.org/du/Miller-DNA-damage.pdf
http://www.bovik.org/du/chromosome-abberations.pdf

Given that uranium accumulates in the testes, is the causation
from gonocyte contamination not entirely clear?

Sincerely,
James Salsman