Environmental Exposures
Depleted Uranium (DU)
Clinical Significance
Depleted uranium munitions were used by all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces
during the 1991 Gulf War. U.S. personnel were generally only exposed to depleted
uranium through fratricide (friendly fire) incidents, clean up of combat vehicles
destroyed by depleted uranium munitions, or by exposure to dusts or aerosols
generated by accidents involving ordinance (e.g., Camp Doha Depot fire).
For additional information on depleted uranium and military policies for the management of potential
exposure to depleted uranium, see our DU Page.
The following references on the world-wide-web contain additional information on
depleted uranium and the Gulf War:
DHSD (Deployment Health Support Directorate) DU Library - DU in the Gulf War
OSAGWI (Office of the Special Assistant to The Deputy Secretary of Defense for
Gulf War Illnesses) Environmental Exposure Report Depleted Uranium in the Gulf (II)
13 Dec 00
CHPPM Health Risk Assessment Consultation - Depleted Uranium, In Suppoprt of
OSAGWI Environmental Exposure Report "Depleted Uranium in the Gulf", 15
Sep 00
RAND Corporation, Review of Scientific Literature As It Pertains to Gulf War Illnesses,
Volume 7, Depleted Uranium, 1999
VA (Veterans Administration), Gulf War Illness Web Page
Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health Part A VOL 67 NO 4, Jun 2004,
Health Effects of Depleted Uranium on Exposed Gulf War Veterans: A 10-Year
Follow-Up, McDiarmid et al.
"Completely surrounding a worker with depleted uranium for 8 h a day for a
year would not result in radiation doses that exceed the maximum annual
occupational dose limit for radiation workers. Similarly, if uranium is retained
indefinitely in contact with the skin, the dose is not large enough to produce
tissue damage." -A commentary by N.D. Priest appearing in the January 27,
2001 issue of the British Medical Journal Lancet.
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