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DEPLETED
URANIUM
Barry
FLETCHER, Pristina 11 Jan 2001 |
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Serbian
tank.
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Several NATO countries arm their ground-attack aircraft with
bullets that include depleted uranium (DU). DU bullets were used
against armored targets in Bosnia (1995) and in Kosovo (1999).
The available information indicates that DU bullets normally
fragment upon impact with an armored target and the resulting
dust is toxic. A flash of radiation is also produced, but it
reportedly only affects the occupants of the target at the
instant of impact.
The interior of a target may contain the dust for a lengthy
period but exterior dust probably mixes with the overall
environment and becomes highly scattered. How dangerous the dust
is once diluted by scattering is the big question. Another
question concerns how much DU bullets affect the groundwater,
including bullets that don't strike armor but simply penetrate
into the earth.
Many decoy "tanks" were targets in Kosovo and some
were probably fired at with DU bullets that are now in the
ground, possibly not even fragmented.
NATO sources state that intact DU bullets are not hazardous. The
issue of poisoning from DU bullets is of legitimate concern for
personnel in Kosovo and Bosnia. Reports of leukemia and other
ailments among military personnel assigned to the Balkans have
prompted investigations into the possibility that depleted
uranium residue may be involved. UN police officers travel
through and work in the same areas as SFOR (Bosnia) & KFOR
(Kosovo), so we presumably have the same general risk of
exposure to environmental hazards as the military.
Only depleted uranium bullets (not bombs or rockets) are the
source of this particular concern and they were used only in
specific cases: DU bullets were generally used against real or
suspected armored vehicles and not against the majority of
targets. For example, only about 100 sites in Kosovo have been
identified as having been fired at with DU bullets, while the
air offensive lasted about 78 days.
NATO air
operation.
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Sources indicate DU dust is dangerous primarily when
inhaled or ingested in relatively large quantities, such as
would be found in the immediate aftermath of a strike. Also, DU
dust reportedly cannot be absorbed through the skin so mere
contact with the substance is unlikely to pose a health risk.
There are no KNOWN instances of UN Police being poisoned by DU
in Bosnia or Kosovo. However (unlike SFOR & KFOR), we are
scattered through the Missions in small groups and it would be
easy for related problems to go undetected. Teams from the UN
Environmental Program and World Health Organization are working
to determine the risk-level, but their studies are not yet
complete.
In previously released information, the military described a
sliding-scale of risk for contamination from DU ammunition: Most
at risk are personnel who were in or on an armored target that
was struck; next are personnel who entered into or on the target
immediately afterwards (rescue); then are personnel who entered
into or on the target soon afterwards (repair); and so on down
to "nil" for someone who did not enter into or on a
target area. However, NATO sources also state that 80% of DU
bullet fragments are deposited within 100 meters of the target,
which means that contamination can occur even if one maintains a
significant distance from the actual target. In all cases, the
danger of contamination is greatest during the time period
immediately after a strike when the DU dust is still airborne.
UN Police who believe they may have been exposed should report
the matter in writing to their Contingent Commander. |
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UNMIK Police Press & Public Information Office,
tel. 381-38-504604-5071, fax. 381-38-504604-5073
Not
an official document of the United Nations
WEBMASTER: civpol@civpol.org
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