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Depleted Uranium (DU) Munitions

COL J. Edgar WakayamaOSD/DOT&E/CS

Depleted Uranium (DU)Munitions

n CONTENTS

–Physical/chemical properties,–Medical diagnosis,–Detection,–Treatment, and–Epidemiological findings among

veterans


n Due to its extreme density (1.7 timesthe density of lead), DU is used as:

– The armor plating,– Penetrator kinetic energy munitions for its

mass and pyrophoric properties underconditions of extreme temperature andpressure.


–The naturally occurring uraniumconsists primarily of three nuclidesaccording to the followingpercentages (by weight):

•238U (99.283%),•235U (0.711%),•234U (0.005%).


For nuclear power generation andnuclear weapons, “enricheduranium” contains greater than0.711% 235U.


n “Depleted uranium” contains less than0.711% 235U (by definition).

n DU is produced as a by-product of theenrichment process for nuclearreactor-grade or nuclear weapon-gradeuranium,

n Generally consists of less than 0.3%235U, and hence is

n Less than half as radioactive as naturaluranium


DU is radioactive andproduces:

n Alpha particle,n Beta particle,n Gamma ray (small).


The alpha particle taken insidethe body in large doses ishazardous producing:n Cell damage and cancer,n Clothing and skin protectsfrom external alpha exposure.

Note: Lung cancer is welldocumented.


nThe beta particle is hazardous tothe skin and the lens of the eyes,

nSafety eyeglasses protect frombeta particle,

nLeader gloves protect your hands.


nThe gamma radiation: AnElectromagnetic radiation ofhigh energy that penetratesthrough the body,

nOnly dense metal such as leadcan shield the radiation.

nBecause DU is depleteduranium, energy levels are verysmall…”Weakly radioactive”


n DU is chemically toxic:–Due to heavy metal like lead,–The target organ is the kidney and

bone.


n Urine samples containing uranium aremutagenic as determined by the Ames test.

n The cultured human stem bone cell line withDU also transformed the cells to becomecarcinogenic.


n The following ammunition contains DU cartridgepenetrators: DODIC MODEL SIZE

n A675 MK149 20mmn A676 MK149 20mmn A986 M919 25mmn A983 PGU-20 25mmn A979 PGU-20 25mmn B102 PGU-14 30mmn B103 PGU-14 30mmn B117 PGU-14 30mmn B128 PGU-14 30mmn C523 M774 105mmn C524 M833 105mmn C543 M900 105mmn C783 M827 120mm (Not fielded)n C786 M829 120mmn C380 M829A1 120mmn C792 M829A2 120mm


The AMSOS-SF (Army Materiel SubordinateOperation Support-Safety) for the U.S. ArmyOperations Support Command (OSC):

a. Licensed by Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC),b. Manages the DU munitions for:

Inspecting, storing, handling, issuing,transporting, uploading, minor maintenance, orusing DU munitions at the U.S. Armyinstallations.

Depleted Uranium (DU)Munitions.

n This license does not cover testing, firing, orproduction of DU munitions.

n If the DU contents are accidentally releasedto the environment, perform a swipe test onsamples taken from DU munitions.

n Contact AMSOS-SF immediately ifradioactivity exceeds:– 500 DPM for alpha or– 100 DPM beta/gamma.


Emerging Medical Management Issues:n During the Persian Gulf War, a number ofallied military personnel internalized DUfragments as a result of several friendly fireincidents (only the allied forces possessedDU munitions).n The three major routes of human exposureto DU are:

a. Wounding by shrapnel, b. Inhalation (lungs and thoracic lymph nodes),

c. Ingestion (most among children playing and eating contaminated soil and contaminated drinking water and food in the community).


1. At that time, existing DoD fragmentsremoval guidelines indicated that shrapnel beremained in place unless they cause futurehealth threat.2. Because DU is still radioactive, studieswere performed in rats with embedded DUfragments.3. Indicated that uranium would besolubilized and redistribute to various tissuesas early as one day after implantation.


4. As expected, the highest uraniumconcentrations were in kidneys and bone.5. Other tissues also showed significantlyhigher levels.6. Urine samples containing uraniumshowed mutagenic as determined by theAmes test.7. The cultured human stem bone cell line

with DU also transformed the cells tobecome carcinogenic.


n 8. Because of these findings, there areproposed changes in the DU shrapnelremoval policy. For example, it is nowadvised that DU fragments greater than 1 cmbe removed unless the medical risk isdetermined to be too grave.

n 9. The other significant changes include aprocedure to detect the presence of DU in themetal fragments and treatment guidelines.


n Laboratory Diagnosis: Procedures to detectthe presence of subcutaneous DU:

a. X-ray fluorescence Method: 57Co toexcite the uranium to produce X-rays (< 3-4cm deep).

b. Differential attenuation Method: A wholebody gamma-ray counter with hyper-puregermanium detectors.

c. Spectrophotometric Method: In vitronitric acid extraction and Br-PADAPchelating color development read at 578nm.


n Epidemiological Studies After Wars in Gulfand Balkans:

– Fired about 340 tons of DU munitionsduring the 1991 Gulf War;

– Fired about 11 tons in the Balkans in 1990;– About 70-80% of all DU munitions

penetrators remain buried in the soil;


n Emerging environmental concerns include:– A significant exposure to DU among

children playing in the impact sites byingesting heavily-contaminated soil,

– Slow leaching of DU in local watersupplies over years,

– Consuming DU contaminated foodsources (animals and plants).


n Heavy metal toxicity issues:– Occupational exposure limit: 3 µg

uranium/g kidney;– Kidney failure/dysfunction with a few days

if large intake of DU (>50 µg uranium/gkidney);

– The estimated DU intake for most soldierson the battlefield: 0.1 µg uranium/g kidney

– No reported case of acute kidney failureamong soldiers, but long-term effect isunknown (The Royal Society Report, March2002).


n Radiation Health Effects:– Inhalation exposure (major effect): Lungs and

thoracic lymph nodes;– The lifetime risk of lung cancer in general

population: 1:250 for non-smoker, and 1:6 forcigarette smokers;

– Soldiers on battlefield: Estimated lung cancer:<1:40,000 (The Royal Society Report, March 2002)

– The most heavily exposed soldier: Estimated lungcancer for the most worst-case to be about 1:15,but more likely 1:1,000 surviving in a struck tank(The Royal Society Report, March 2002);


Radiation Health Effects continue:

– DU can be deposited in bone causing DNA damageby the effects of the alpha particles;

– A large inhalation of dust (without radiations):Long-term respiratory effects (Lung fibrosis, inaddition to risk of lung cancer).

– Immune deficiency: Negligible effect (The RoyalSociety Report, March 2002);

– An extra risk of death from leukemia and othercancers: Insignificant and much lower than that oflung cancer (The Royal Society Report, March2002).


n Future Studies/Recommendations:a. Monitoring of kidney function and urine

uranium levels among children, peacekeepers, and inhabitants.b. Epidemiological monitoring of cancer

incidents among soldiers surviving during friendly fire and soldiers working forprotracted periods in heavily contaminatedvehicles, including urine uranium testing,kidney function tests, and neurologicalevaluations.


Future Studies/Recommendations:

c. Heavily contaminated soil should be removed if the area is to be populated with civilians.d. Long-term annual water and milk sampling for DU levels in the impact site.


DU Munitions Capstone Test Firing:1. June of 2001 at ATC/APG in the

“Superbox”, DU sampling in support of theM1A2 Abrams live-fire vulnerability testwas performed. The purpose of this testfiring is to:

�• Sample inside the crew compartment of avehicle following a DU munition firing,

�• Determine the DU surface contaminationlevels in and on the vehicle after impactwith a DU munition.


2. This DU Capstone is designed tospecifically evaluate:

– The aerosol concentration,– Particle size distribution, and–contamination levels at the time of

impact associated with theinteraction between DU penetratorsand armored vehicles.


– For inhalation exposure, a largerrapidly dissolving uranium wasobserved in the airborne materialthan in the settled material (RCScripsick et al, Govt ReportsAnnouncements & Index, Issue 02,1985).

– This indicates to me that the size ofparticle becomes important foraerosolization during inhalation.

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