Environmental groups have raised concerns about the use of this material; arguing that not only is it dangerously radioactive, but it is also as toxic as lead. Such issues are of concern to those fired upon by DU weapons, to those protected by DU armour-plating, and to civilians and troops operating in a theatre where DU is used. The health effects of depleted uranium have been postulated to be one of the possible causes of Gulf war syndrome. This possibility has been widely denied by a number of government officials, most of whom deny that DU is dangerously radioactive.
Studies of scientific bodies have resulted in mixed conclusions. Studies showing detrimental health affects have claimed the following:
* Toxic material from shot DU ammunition does disperse into the air much more easily and widely than expected (since uranium is one of the heaviest metals there are, this came rather unexpectedly). Also DU disperses into the water, as mentioned in the UNEP study [5]:
"The most important concern is the potential for future groundwater contamination by corroding penetrators (ammunition tips made out of DU). The penetrators recovered by the UNEP team had decreased in mass by 10-15% due to corrosion. This rapid corrosion speed underlines the importance of monitoring the water quality at the DU sites on an annual basis."
* While DU studies from the military sector mainly evaluated external exposure to DU materials, newer studies took inhalation of particles from the remains of used ammunition into consideration. These studies indicate that the battlefield use of DU ammunition may have grave consequences, especially if used near population centers.
* Small amounts of radiation may even be more harmful to the body than bigger doses may be [2,3,4]. Damaged cells resulting from lower doses of radiation seem to be less efficiently repaired by the body. This seems to be a possible source of cancer. This may lead to controversy in the future if the facts become more clear (proven by more studies) and more commonly known, since this may be important to people living in the vicinity of nuclear power plants as well.
These facts together may indicate that DU ammunition is actually quite a health problem and endangers the civilian population if left on the battlefield. However, other studies have shown that DU ammunition has no measurable detrimental health effects, either in the short or long term. Critics of these studies point to the fact that they come primarily from the US and UK -- both supporters of DU. However, the Geneva-based International Atomic Energy Agency also reports, "based on credible scientific evidence, there is no proven link between DU exposure and increases in human cancers or other significant health or environmental impacts" [1]. The US military watchdog group Federation of American Scientists has come to similar conclusions.
