RE: Kosovo DU - New Scientist Report

[Bernard L Cohen <blc+@pitt.edu>]

On Thu, 10 Jun 1999, Franta, Jaroslav wrote:

> > > 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 ? 

	--This would be correct if you accept linear-no threshold theory,
and if the population density there were similar to the U.S. average.

> 
Bernard L. Cohen
Physics Dept.
University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA 15260
Tel: (412)624-9245
Fax: (412)624-9163
e-mail: blc+@pitt.edu


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