From Philip Hypes, Los Alamos National Laboratory
Your article on the use of depleted uranium (DU) by US forces in the Balkans
was remarkably one-sided
(This Week, 5 June, p 20).
Granted, the article does mention that Doug Rokke’s claims are disputed by
the official organisations involved. However, it ignores the overwhelming
evidence supporting these organisations’ positions.
The recently released Rand report states: “There are no peer-reviewed
published reports of detectable increases of cancer or other negative health
effects from radiation exposure to inhaled or ingested natural uranium at levels
far exceeding those likely in the Gulf. This is mainly because the body is very
effective at eliminating ingested and inhaled natural uranium and because the
low radioactivity per unit mass of natural and depleted uranium means that the
mass of uranium needed for significant internal exposure is virtually impossible
to obtain.”
New Mexico
