RE: Kosovo DU - New Scientist Report

["Franta, Jaroslav" <frantaj@aecl.ca>]

> Bernard L Cohen[SMTP:blc+@pitt.edu] wrote on Thursday, June 10, 1999 10:40
> AM:
>  
> On Sat, 5 Jun 1999, Frederic Dawson wrote:
> 
> >  From New Scientist, 5 June 1999
> > 
> > There is evidence that civilian authorities take the threat from DU very
> > seriously. In the aftermath of the Gulf conflict, the UK Atomic Energy
> > Authority came up with some frightening estimates for the potential
> effects
> > of the DU contamination left by the conflict. It calculated that if 23
> > tonnes of DU were inhaled--8 per cent of the amount actually fired in
> the
> > Gulf--this could cause "500 000 potential deaths". This was "a
> theoretical
> > figure", it stressed, that indicated "a significant problem".
> 
> 	--Inhalation of 8% is very highly unrealistic. My paper in Health
> Physics 47:281-292;1984 shows that if fine dust is distributed throughout
> the atmosphere in U.S.,less than one part in a million would be inhaled by
> people.
<><><><><><><>

...would it be approximately correct then, to say that the number of
"potential deaths" is (500 000 x 0.000 001/0.08 = ) 6.25 ? 

...indicating no significant problem, particularly in the context of that
Gulf War situation, including extensive environmental pollution from Sadam's
burning of Kuwaiti oil fields ?

jaro

frantaj@aecl.ca 

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