Health Risks Related to Depleted Uranium Contamination in Iraq

Global Research, 2006

Depleted Uranium (DU) weaponry has been used against Iraq for the first time in the history of recent wars. The magnitude of the complications and damage related to the use of such radioactive and toxic weapons on the environment and the human population mostly results from the intended concealment, denial and misleading information released by the Pentagon about the quantities, characteristics and the area's in Iraq, in which these weapons have been used.

US and British forces used depleted uranium (DU) in armor-piercing rounds to disable enemy tanks during the Gulf and Balkan Wars. Uranium particulate is generated by DU shell impact and particulate entrained in air may be inhaled or ingested by troops and nearby civilian populations. As uranium is slightly radioactive and chemically toxic, a number of critics have asserted that DU exposure has resulted in a variety of adverse health effects for exposed veterans and nearby civilian populations. The study described in this paper used mathematical modeling to estimate health risks from exposure to DU during the 1991 Gulf War for both US troops and nearby Iraqi civilians. The analysis found that the risks of DU-induced leukemia or birth defects are far too small to result in an observable increase in these health effects among exposed veterans or Iraqi civilians. The analysis indicated that only a few (~5) US veterans in vehicles accidentally targeted by US tanks received significant exposure levels, resulting in about a 1.4% lifetime risk of DU radiation- induced fatal cancer (compared with about a 24% risk of a fatal cancer from all other causes). These veterans may have also experienced temporary kidney damage. Iraqi children playing for 500 h in DU-destroyed vehicles are predicted to incur a cancer risk of about 0.4%. In vitro and animal tests suggest the possibility of chemically induced health effects from DU internalization, such as immune system impairment. Further study is needed to determine the applicability of these findings for Gulf War exposure to DU. Veterans and civilians who did not occupy DU-contaminated vehicles are unlikely to have internalized quantities of DU significantly in excess of normal internalization of natural uranium from the environment.

pure.ltu.se

had signed a MoU with the Iraqi Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. Accordingly LTU is trying to highlight the most important problems experienced in Iraq that affects its people and the environment and to find possible solution to such problems. The human and environmental impact of the use of depleted uranium (DU) during war situations is an example of these problems of major significance for the Iraqi society. The issue is therefore addressed at LTU within the framework of the signed MoU. This report should be seen as a background survey of the problem and its extent for the Iraqi society. The authors are thankful to LTU and a number of actors in Iraq for providing us with information and background reports of all types. The authors also like to stress the magnitude of the problem not only from an environmental point of view but also from the humanitarian aspect.

Depleted uraniu m (DU) is known to affect the health and well-being of humans. Exposure to DU weapons used by the United States troops and its allies has caused several types of exotic d iseases, congenital malformat ions, and malignant tumors that have resulted in mild to severe abnormalit ies. This study aims to determine the amount of DU concentrations present in humans exposed to DU weapons. The Basrah District was chosen as the study site because this district was involved in the Gulf War in 1991 to 2003. Data were collected fro m hospitals, universities, and health institutes from 1989 to 2010. Blood, tissues, bones, urine, and teeth in fected by cancer where comp iledas data samples. The DU ratios of each person in the diverse sites of the Basrah Governorate were obtained for analysis. Descriptive statistics was obtained for the dataset. Results of this study shows that the mean of the DU ratio in the infected samples was 0.018 ppm in 1994 and was 1.27 pp m in 2010. Results also indicating that the DU rat io exceeded the standards level significantly. The DU concentration rates increase with increasing the years, due to the accumulation of U 238 series radioisotopes in the human organs. The lung has the highest DU ratio, fo llo wed by the kidney, bones, urinary bladder, and teeth, successively. Analysis findings indicate the presence of radiological pollution significantly in some areas, and lead to uranium enters the human body through respiration or through ingestion of contaminated food and drink. A irborne uraniu m also contains particles that accumulate in the human organs.

2011

Synopsis: The Iraqi environment had been extensively exposed to depleted uranium (DU) contamination in the course of military operation in 1991 and 2003. Burning of tanks and armored vehicles led to the formation of large quantities of fine aerosol containing predominantly poorly soluble uranium oxides. The DU aerosol is deposited on soil surface, transported far from the vicinity of the target, or resuspended in the air by the wind action. Therefore, data from within the country on the behavior of DU in the environment are essential and would offer first-hand basis on many topics of the impact of DU contamination on the environment and health. In the 1 part of the study nearly ten years after military operation, transport of DU from contaminated soil of the southern region of Iraq had been investigated in undisturbed soil columns taken from four locations of battlefield at Basra Governorate. In the 2 part of the study, uptake of DU was assessed in a field experiment utilizing tomat...

Medicine, conflict, and survival

Iraq is suffering from depleted uranium (DU) pollution in many regions and the effects of this may harm public health through poisoning and increased incidence of various cancers and birth defects. DU is a known carcinogenic agent. About 1200 tonnes of ammunition were dropped on Iraq during the Gulf Wars of 1991 and 2003. As a result, contamination occurred in more than 350 sites in Iraq. Currently, Iraqis are facing about 140,000 cases of cancer, with 7000 to 8000 new ones registered each year. In Baghdad cancer incidences per 100,000 population have increased, just as they have also increased in Basra. The overall incidence of breast and lung cancer, Leukaemia and Lymphoma, has doubled even tripled. The situation in Mosul city is similar to other regions. Before the Gulf Wars Mosul had a higher rate of cancer, but the rate of cancer has further increased since the Gulf Wars.

Current Medicinal Chemistry, 2018

Depleted uranium (DU) is generally considered an emerging pollutant, first extensively introduced into environment in the early nineties in Iraq, during the military operation called “Desert Storm”. DU has been hypothesized to represent a hazardous element both for soldiers exposed as well as for the inhabitants of the polluted areas in the war zones. In this review, the possible consequences on human health of DU released in the environment are critically analyzed. In the first part, the chemical properties of DU and the principal civil and military uses are summarized. A concise analysis of the mechanisms underlying absorption, blood transport, tissue distribution and excretion of DU in the human body is the subject of the second part of this article. The following sections deal with pathological condition putatively associated with overexposure to DU. Developmental and birth defects, the Persian Gulf syndrome, and kidney diseases that have been associated to DU are the arguments ...

Iranian Journal of Radiation …, 2005

The application of DU emanation for the first time contaminated certain areas in the south west region of Iraq after the second Gulf war (1991). These contaminated areas were discovered in 1994. Radioactive contamination was detected using the nuclear enterprise PCM5/1 in soil samples collected from two regions near by grazing lands. This study was done for assessment of DU contaminated soil in the regions under study. Materials and Methods: Portable detector was used for radiation measurement of the contaminated area. Samples from each region were selected and taken to Baghdad kept in plastic bags for gamma ray spectroscopy measurement. Gamma-ray spectroscopy system consists of high purity germanium (HPGE) detector surrounded by appropriate shield. The measurement of detector efficiency using (GDR) computer programs, supplied by Canberra Company was used to analyze gamma-ray spectrum. The activity of 234 Th, 235 U, 238 Pa and other natural isotopes were measured. Results: The measurement by gamma-ray spectrometry system showed that six samples were heavily contaminated with DU, because the presence of 243 Pa and 235 U peak and the percentage ratio between 235 U/ 238 U were less than 0.005, when both international mathematical methods, namely IAEA and Kosovo, were used. Because of existence of radiation equilibrium between 234 Th and 234 Pa, the measurements should be accurate. Conclusion: The result showed that six of the samples were heavily contaminated with DU and there is a good agreement between the two methods. Because of the accuracy and ease of the Kosovo method, it is recommended for future investigations. Iran. J. Radiat.

Health Physics, 2013

exposed to depleted uranium (DU) through friendly-fire incidents involving DU munitions and vehicles protected by DU armor. Routes of exposure to DU involved inhalation of soluble and insoluble DU oxide particles, wound contamination, and retained embedded DU metal fragments that continue to oxidize in situ and release DU to the systemic circulation. A biennial health surveillance program established for this group of Veterans by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has shown continuously elevated urine DU concentrations in the subset of veterans with embedded fragments for over 20 years. While the 2011 assessment was comprehensive, few clinically significant U-related health effects were observed. This report is focused on health outcomes associated with two primary target organs of concern for long term effects of this combat-related exposure to DU. Renal biomarkers showed minimal DU-related effects on proximal tubule function and cytotoxicity, but significant biomarker results were observed when urine concentrations of multiple metals also found in fragments were examined together. Pulmonary tests and questionnaire results indicate that pulmonary function after 20 y remains within the clinical normal range. Imaging of DU embedded fragment-associated tissue for signs of inflammatory or proliferative reactions possibly associated with foreign body transformation or with local alpha emissions from DU was also conducted using PET-CT and ultrasound. These imaging tools may be helpful in guiding decisions regarding removal of fragments.