Health Effects of Embedded Depleted Uranium Fragments.

Abstract : During Operation Desert Storm (ODS) friendly-fire incidents resulted in patients wounded from embedded fragments of depleted uranium (DU) metal. Existing fragment removal guidelines dictated fragments be left in place unless they were a present or future threat to health. An Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute (AFRRI) 1993 review of the potential health effects of allowing DU fragments to remain in place found no evidence to warrant a change in the fragment removal policies. However, sufficient uncertainties existed concerning the health effects of embedded DU fragments to warrant implementation of both patient follow-up and toxicological research programs. The Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) is conducting a joint DoD/DVA patient monitoring effort; and the DoD is funding a DU research program at AFRRI and at the Inhalation Toxicology Research Institute (ITRI). A meeting of these groups was held at AFRRI 15 November 1996 to review research efforts to date. This report is a summary of the eight research efforts presented at the workshop.

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