Regarding damage investigation of DU

�T Influence to the human body by DU

DU seems to give multifactorial influence. I think that DU have dual potential, that is, teratogenecity and oncogenecity.

When dividing DU's effects in two by it's nature, one is influence as chemical poison, and another is influence as radioactive material.

Of these, the toxicity as a chemical material had been already confirmed, and there will be no persons denying these significances.

There included the reproduction disorder and teratogenecity in many case reports such as "Gulf War syndrome" in the early days.

This tendency resembles with the influence by "defoliant" in Vietnam.

Of course radioactive materials also have teratogenecity. "Atomic bomb microcephalia" is well known, for example. But the influence of A.B. in the next generation is supposed to be not so significant.

On the other hand, it is still indefinite about the influence of DU as radioactive material.

But accounting of abnormally high cancer-causing rate, especially of high incidence of leukemia, we cannot aside DU's oncogenic potentiality as radioactive material.

In order to prove the harm of DU as radioactive material alongside of victims, it will be a certain evidence if the cancer-causing rate with DU is significantly high than those with other heavy metals or any cytotoxic agent.

That evidence will be obtained from the comparison between "lead poisoning", "organic mercury poisoning", "cadmium poisoning", "defoliant intoxication in Vietnam or Colombia", or "chemical weapon during the days of Iraq-Iran War" and so on.

But it may be still insufficient when anyone insists "that is just a kind of characteristics of uranium 238 as chemical poison".

For example, lead has also radioactivity, which discharges a very small amount of alpha ray. It cannot be denied that the essentials of lead poisoning may be related to this character.

Rhetorically speaking, we may have to prove that the characteristics of uranium 238 as chemical poison derived just from it's great high radioactivity.

With reference to this, we have some uncertain reports which tells the frequent occurrence of cancer in workers of DU producting factory in Kentuckey U.S.

 

�U Three components of DU and the influence to the human body by them

To prefer the cause by which DU brings complicated damage to the human body, we must take the fact into account that depleted uranium itself is not a simple material .

a. Uranium 238

The first component is uranium 238, overwhelmingly much for the ratio.

Uranium 238 discharges only alpha ray purely.

Internal radiation exposure can be occurred when it is introduced into human body via airway or esophagus. It had been confirmed experimentally.

But it is unclear whether uranium 238 as radioactive material actually gives the human body damage, in Iraq now.

The exception is the days just midst the Gulf War of '91 when Iraqi tanks suffered the attack of DU intensively.

On the other hand, it has become clear that uranium 238 is potent to make damage on human body as a kind of heavy metals. Absorbed DU is accumulated in kidney or genital organ, and brings with disorders such as sterility or congenital abnormality.

The question is whether Uranium 238 has significant cancer-causing potentiality, while it spread in certain area as heavy metal powder instead as extraordinary mode like DU aerosol.

Then, the quantity of total use of some tons will become another important factor.

 

b. Uranium 235

The second component is uranium 235. Though very low for ratio, it has extremely high activity. Estimated some tons of DU may contain kirograms of uranium 235.

As periodist Morizumi reported, Geiger counter reacts intensely when bringing closely to tanks destroyed in the Gulf War even now. This is not due to uranium 238.

Obviously there are certain materials emitting gamma ray for a long term.

There happened a "miss-shooting case" of DU several years ago, in Torishima air shooting maneuvers area in Okinawa Pref.

Japanese Science and Technology Agency then performed an on-the-spot survey to search the remaining radioactivity. But, according to it's report, the radioactivity was not detected.

Therefore, if we argue that Uranium 235 is the true criminal, we can only imagine daringly that uranium 235 may have been concentrated through unknown mechanism in the process of explosion of DU. It is very hard to be so.

There have been no explanations from the US army about this. But the local US army in Iraq is carrying out defense measures for radioactive rays, which suggest that they have a recognition about the radiotoxicity of DU.

 

c. another possibility

The third is the case when used nuclear fuel was re-used as raw materials of DU weapon. This is terrible but, in fact, the most possible reason why the destroyed tanks emit gamma ray.

The original "depleted uranium" is generated as a by-product through the process of producting enriched uranium from raw uranium material.

But enriched uranium is also become to identical "depleted uranium" after it is used by nuclear power generation, as the ratio of uranium 235 decreases.

This compound is fiercely dirty, including deadly poisons such as strontium or cesium.

Daring to state over the double supposition, if "used DU" was re-used and if certain component of those "DU" is bringing with high incidence of cancer, it must be the most serious problem.

However, it will be very difficult to prove. The United States Government has denied the use of this "messy depleted uranium" formally.

WHO, in the field of Kosovo, has confirmed remain of uranium 236 that cannot be detected in the natural resourses. About this, behavior of the United States is even vague.

 

�V　For elucidation of the real facts of "DU syndrome"

a. Strategical design

At first, we should better begin damage investigation from the viewpoint of heavy metal pollution. Because it is rather easy to recognize.

If we can prove causation, inhumanity of DU will be exposed with those sole evidence.

We should make clear whether this "syndrome" exists as a clinical entity, what the whole image of this "syndrome" is, how the clinical course progresses, and so on.

It will be necessary to take questionnaire of subjective symptom from as many people as possible. Because influence of radiation exposure is so various, and follow up term seems considerably long.

Objective indexes will be needed to show the degree of human body pollution by DU. We need to search some specific enzymes like d-ALAD in lead poisoning.

In general, there are no specific diseases by radioactive ray exposure. Therefore, the influence will rise as a statistical characteristic by comparing it with other heavy metal diseases.

We should find the relative high risk group through analysis such as the area, the generation or the occupation, and observe them so carefully.

As Dr. Muhammad mentioned, incidence of leukemia is rising recently, while it was about to fall down once making it's peak in 1995. It means that another relative high risk group may be latent in healthier victims at present.

This will be a very important task to study.

 

b.　To detect DU

It already passes in the above for ten years, and I think that search of a pollutant is difficult elucidation of the pollution situation.

Local investigation is done after pollution comparatively early in Kosovo, but thus that a pollutant was detected is limited to a few samples.

I cannot but estimate the pollution situation of those days by analyzing a document of US army side.

Of course there can be another proof method about DU used by Iraqi aggression of this time.

 

c.　Three points to notice in investigation

At first, it should be a humanitarian study to be tied to relief of a victim.

It must be banned tightly to handle victims as marmots as ABCC did while researching A-bomb victims, .

Because the investigation itself is a scene of struggle for peace and human rights, it must aim at uncovering the false information by US.

It is not necessary to bark, but have to maintain the inconcedable principle firmly.

In addition, we are necessary to be cool and objective for investigation, in order to arise sympathy from Japan and many people of the world, and to avoid the slander without any sense.