Re: Depleted Uranium Ordnance

[Al Tschaeche <antatnsu@pacbell.net>]

I have had a question for years about inhallation of depleted uranium in
relatively insoluble form, but have not yet found an answer.  Perhaps this
is the time to ask again.  Since we know that DU in insoluble form in the
lungs at current MPCs (sorry about the old time quantity) is not a
radiological hazard (either to the lungs or anywhere else in the body), and
if one were to ignore the PEL (mass limit in air) for insoluble uranium so
that gram quantities of finely divided insoluble DU are deposited in the
lung (either one time or over time); what is the chemical toxicity to the
lung from that mass of DU?  What is the maximum mass of insoluble DU (either
continuously or a one time inhallation) in the lung that would give the
maximum permissible concentration per day in the kidney?  Is that amount of
uranium in the lung a chemical problem to the lung (or any other organ)?  As
you see, my concern is chemical toxicity to the lung.  Does anyone have data
demonstrating chemical toxicity (or not) to the lung from relatively large
masses of DU in the lung?  Al Tschaeche antatnsu@pacbell.net

Minnema, Douglas wrote:

> For those of you who were not at the HPS mid-year meeting last week,
> there was a presentation by the Army on assessing doses for the
> "friendly fire" victims,  responders, and recovery personnel (the
> highest potential exposure groups).  It is published in the proceedings.
>
> Their estimate is less than 5 mSv (0.5 rem) CEDE, based upon 15 minute
> exposures, and inhalation of 22 mg insoluble DU oxide and 4 mg soluble
> DU oxide, and secondary ingestion of 13.3 mg insoluble DU oxide and 2.7
> mg soluble DU oxide.
>
> My question is that these ingestion numbers sound significant when
> compared to OSHA PELs, but I am not an IH and am not sure how to use
> them.  However, this was  not discussed in the report.  Anybody have a
> feel for that?
>
> Doug Minnema, CHP


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