(Untitled)

[cascadianista]

If you give a fuck at all that hundreds of thousands of Iraqi children are dead, if you give a fuck that tens of thousands more are about to die, if you give a fuck that tons of depleted uranium from weapons used against Iraq could (see edit) cause up to a half million cancer deaths and untold severe birth defects (and that's what's already thereGo

Comments

depleted uranium

[darwinx0r]

Please provide a credible scientific reference which links depleted uranium munitions to cancer deaths and birth defects

Re: depleted uranium

[cascadianista]

It figures that the report to the British Atomic Energy Authority with the 500,000 number isn't actually online (that I can find), just referred to a lot

Re: depleted uranium

[cascadianista]

This does not, however, mean that DU is safe, or that it's not causing cancers and birth defects in addition to its chemical toxicity. There is no exposure threshold for the long-term and chronic effects of radiation exposure. Additionally, our knowledge of the effects of long-term low-dose exposure to radiation in general and DU in particular is poor. "Because extracting the risk estimates at low doses is a theoretical and not an experimental process, experts disagree somewhat as to which models best describe different types of exposures (BEIR, 1980, 1989, 1990; UNSCEAR, 1986, 1988, 1993, 1994)." Regarding kidney toxicity of DU: "The level at which chronic (lifetime) exposures can produce clinically significant end points is not as clearly defined (BEIR, 1988)." Does lack of knowledge imply no bogeyman? No. It implies that we don't know. The lack of proof of a link between DU use and toxic effects does not mean there isn't one

Re: depleted uranium

[darwinx0r]

First, thanks for your quite civil reply. I know that sometimes my acerbic way of stating things is somewhat offputting and I'm glad you focused on the issue at hand instead of my textual delivery