The horrors of war don't end when the last gun falls silent. Unexploded shells, landmines, and other wartime hazards continue to take lives long after hostilities cease. Depleted uranium - or "DU" - one of the lesser know of these hazards, is spreading disease and death well beyond the battlefields on which it was once deployed. Originally viewed as a waste product in the production of fissionable nuclear material, depleted uranium was found to be effective in the manufacture of armor piercing projectiles and bombs. DU armaments are in use by the United States, Russia and several other nations. The U.S. has used DU armaments in the First Gulf War, Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq. Israel has received DU armaments from the United States and reportedly have used them in the current hostilities in Gaza.
There is a growing scientific debate over the health impacts of residue from expended DU weapons. Increased rates in diabetes, neurological disorders and birth defects have been found where such weapons have been used. Other researchers point to evidence that DU residue introduced into the environment is spreading, contaminating skies, waterways and soil thousands of miles from the scenes of conflict.
Dave Mazza speaks with Leuren Moret, an international researcher on the impacts of DU. Leuren recently reported on the increased risk of infertility and reproductive cancers from DU exposure in Namaste Magazine.
CD-2047
- KBOO