I will provide my qualifications before entering into this discussion, MSME, product design engineer for a military ordnance contractor manufacturing cluster bombs and depleted uranium bullets for the military.
The House of Representatives has passed the military appropriations bill with a rider to include further testing and evaluation concerning health and safety issues regarding the military use of depleted uranium, enriched U238 as a military weapon. This was from very lengthy discussions with DOD personnel and our local congressman.
The Department of Defense states the maximum lifetime exposure to DU or depleted uranium is 475 hours over a lifetime of 30 years before it would be of concern. This is predicated upon a maximum of 15 minutes per 8 hour day in low radiation environmental conditions.
I am one of four people that are personally known to me that sustained cancer in direct relationship to the models used to display and serve as a point of conversation with the military customer. The four of us had DU models in our offices for this purpose. Our exposures were in excess of 6,000 hours. I am the only remaining survivor but am dying and that brings forward this discussion.
It is known to me that if the models were placed high as on the top of a credenza or bookcase, two engineers contracted brain cancer and are now deceased, two years post surgery. My display was located in the center shelf of the bookcase and contracted renal cell carcinoma corrected with a radical nephrectomy in 2005. If the models were on the bottom shelf of the bookcase then there is a reported case of pelvic cancer and three surgeries were not able to save the life of the facilities manager.
The United Nations says it is ok to use depleted uranium enriched 235 or 238 as it is not considered a health risk. Bull!
If this is the criteria then why did pilots returning from Desert Storm have a very high incidence rate of colon-rectal cancer and child birth defects?
Why did a number of troops (company level) all contract an upper respiratory cancer after the A-10 aircraft destroyed enemy armor. DU penetrator bullets upon impact with armor plate or RHA become an aerosol that was enhaled by our troops. A-10 pilots sit above the gatling gun and ammunition feed belts containing depleted uranium.
The point being made is depleted uranium occurs naturally in our environment in such things as fertilizer etc. However, depleted enriched uranium by DOD admission does cause cancer in the dose level above 475 hours per the DOD health and safety inspector general's offices.
For these reasons wish to see that the US government ceases the use of depleted uranium and safely disposes of such materials preventing further injury and cancer in our ordnance industry and also more importantly to our troops. After exposure it takes 15 years for the cancer to develop as my medical records defined to the government. The same situation applied to the other three engineers to which I stated have deceased two years post surgery.
My current health status is the RCC was contained however other organs now are in decline and if I follow the path of other engineers also diagnosed with cancer, have less than a year remaining. Liver and remaining kidney are under suspicion due to recent enhanced CT scans, blood panels elevated.
Please share this with those you know that are in the military to seek treatment and observation over their remaining lives.
If this message saves a life, then this disclosure was worth the effort. Please write your senators to pass the House Bill concerning Military Appropriations.