Dear SFTP-ers:

        I think a major issue is whether exposure to debris from U.S. made weapons,
built with depleted uranium (DU), is causing a cancer "epidemic" in Iraq.
There have been suggestions that certain parts of Iraq are experiencing
"high" cancer rates, particularly among children, and that these high cancer
rates may be due to the effects of exposure to DU.   Unfortunately, it seems
difficult or impossible to answer this question scientifically, especially
because of the detrimental effects of the sanctions, bombings and war on
Iraq's infrastructure, hospitals, public and health care systems etc., which
limit the ability to conduct appropriate studies.    It is probably
difficult to even document the high (in comparison to what?) rates for
certain cancers, which have been reported anecdotally to exist in the
region.   In addition, it is difficult to assess population DU exposure, and
separate out its potential effect from that of malnutrition, lack of
adequate water and sewage, lack of medical care, stress, other environmental
toxins etc.   DU is considered toxic at least as much, or more, chemically
(i.e. as uranium) than as due to its residual radioactivity.  Because of the
latency usually associated with exposure to environmental carcinogens,
currently seen effects (if they exist) would presumably be linked to
exposures some years ago.

        I feel that this issue, as well as the larger issues of the effects of the
years of sanctions, war and now military occupation on the health of the
Iraqi people bear close watching by the international scientific, medical
and public health communities (as well as everyone else).  One organization
that is working on some of these issues, and has some good resource
material, can be found at:  www.cesr.org/iraq/.

        I would be interested in hearing other perspectives/information or
suggestions on this issue.

Frank
*****************************************
Frank S. Rosenthal, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Purdue University School of Health Sciences
1338 Civil Engineering Building
West Lafayette, IN 47907 USA
tel: 765-494-0812, fax: 765-496-1377,
e-mail: [log in to unmask]
*****************************************


-----Original Message-----
From: Science for the People Discussion List
[mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Carrol Cox
Sent: Thursday, April 17, 2003 3:19 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Query on DU


A friend has sent me a large amount of material on Depleted Uranium
(DU), but I am really not competent to judge the issues involved. Can
some members of this list help out.

Carrol Cox