depleted uranium and attacks to jugoslavia and iraq massimo zucchetti politecnico di torino

Depleted Uraniumand attacks to Jugoslavia

and Iraq

Massimo Zucchetti

Politecnico di Torino

7000 missions, of which 2300 bombings,

In total 20000 flights.

21700 t du explosives, with 2900 bombs

15 - 30 tons of Depleted Uranium

Some data about the NATO attack to Jugoslavia

• Civil victims:

2500 killed people, more than 6000 wounded

• Military victims:

676 jugoslavian soldiers died

Immediate consequences

In total: 995 objectives (mostly civil ones) attacked.In total: 995 objectives (mostly civil ones) attacked.

•Material damages•- 77 industries, 39 power plants, 16 refineries e chemical plants;

- 61 bridges, 10 stations, 7 airports;

- 120 hospitals;

- 320 primary schools, 115 secondary schools, 6 universities;

- 24 monastries, 33 churches, 16 monuments, 25 city centers.

•Material damages•- 77 industries, 39 power plants, 16 refineries e chemical plants;

- 61 bridges, 10 stations, 7 airports;

- 120 hospitals;

- 320 primary schools, 115 secondary schools, 6 universities;

- 24 monastries, 33 churches, 16 monuments, 25 city centers.

PANCEVO

Petrochemical, Refinery, Fertilizers

WAS IT A WAS IT A CHEMICAL WAR ?CHEMICAL WAR ?

RELEASED CHEMICAL SUBSTANCES

•Ethilene cloride (EDC): 21000 t•Mercury and its composites: 8 t•Burned oil: 80000 t•Ammonia: 250 t

Toxic plume – Deadly concentration after one hour

Toxic plume – Toxic concentration after three hours

Ash: 1st day

MAC = 5*10e-5 g/m3

Ash: 1st day

MAC = 5*10e-5 g/m3

Toxic plumeAsh concentration after 1 day

Toxic plumeAsh concentration after 1 day

Ash: 3rd dayAsh: 3rd day

Toxic plumeAsh concentration after 3 days

Toxic plumeAsh concentration after 3 days

Policyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons

Benzo (a) piren: 1st day

Policyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons

Benzo (a) piren: 1st day

Toxic plume after 1 dayToxic plume after 1 day

Policyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons

Benzo (a) piren: 3dr day

Policyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons

Benzo (a) piren: 3dr day

Toxic plume after 3 daysToxic plume after 3 days

ConsequencesRise of tumors in jugoslavian population

exposed to bombings

Rise of some special kind of tumors (Hodgkin lymphoma) in the italian soldiers occuping the Kosovo region: 173 dead until now, and a thousand of ill people

Children Leukaemias in Bosnia

Association “The Heart of cancer-ill children in Bosnia Erzegovina Federation” (“Srce za djecu koja boluju od raka u FBiH”).

The association has been founded in Sarajevo in April 2003.

After the 95 war the number of cancer-ill children has almost doubled

The peak has been in the 2000-2004 period

Association “The Heart of cancer-ill children in Bosnia Erzegovina Federation” (“Srce za djecu koja boluju od raka u FBiH”).

The association has been founded in Sarajevo in April 2003.

After the 95 war the number of cancer-ill children has almost doubled

The peak has been in the 2000-2004 period

Children Leukaemias in Bosnia

Children Leukaemias in Bosnia

Children Leukaemias in Bosnia

Children Leukaemias in Bosnia

Depleted Uranium

Depleted Uranium is a nuclear material known since the forties

It has been used in the Gulf War (1991), in the Balkans (Bosnia 1995 e Kosovo 1999), in Afghanistan e again in Iraq in 2003.

DU is mainly composed by U-238, it is a radioactive material with extremely long half-life, and it is an emitter.

DU HAZARDS DU is known to be dangerous since the fifties,

when ihalation of DU dust caused illness in workers of the nuclear industry, and in particular of fuel fabrication plants

Pathologies caused by DU are essentially tumors; in particular, to lymph-nodes (Hodgkin and Non-hodgkin lymphomas), leukaemia, lung tumors

USE OF DUDu has been used for military purposes,

in order to increase the weight of bullets and in armours.

The greatest attack has been that to Iraq, both in 1991 and in 2003.

IRAQ AND DEPLETED IRAQ AND DEPLETED URANIUMURANIUM

In the Gulf War in 1991, about 90000 uranium bullets have been used, for a total weight of about 300-400 tons of DU

In the 2nd Iraq War in 2003, about 1500 tons of DU have been used

FABRICATION OF FABRICATION OF DEPLETED URANIUM (DU)DEPLETED URANIUM (DU)

Nuclear fuel cycle:Nuclear fuel cycle:Uranium enrichment processUranium enrichment process

Depleted uraniumDepleted uranium Enriched uraniumEnriched uranium

DU bullets Fuel for nuclear power plants

DEPLETED URANIUM DEPLETED URANIUM CHARACTERISTICS x MILITARY USECHARACTERISTICS x MILITARY USE

LOW COSTLOW COST

2 $/Kg2 $/Kg

NUCLEAR INDUSTRY SCRAPNUCLEAR INDUSTRY SCRAP

WIDE AVAILABILITYWIDE AVAILABILITY

HIGH DENSITY (One liter = 19 kg)HIGH DENSITY (One liter = 19 kg)

PYROPHORICPYROPHORIC

SELF-SHARPENING PROPERTIESSELF-SHARPENING PROPERTIES

RADIOACTIVITYRADIOACTIVITY

30 mm BULLETS: 30 mm BULLETS: AIRPLANE A-10 Warthog e AIRPLANE A-10 Warthog e 120 mm bullets and armour 120 mm bullets and armour for M1(A1 e A2) tanksfor M1(A1 e A2) tanks

MILITARY USE OF DUMILITARY USE OF DU

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A DU WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A DU BULLET IMPACTS ON TARGET?BULLET IMPACTS ON TARGET?

TARGET DISTRUCTIONTARGET DISTRUCTION

FIRE: OXIDATION AND PULVERIZATIONFIRE: OXIDATION AND PULVERIZATION

ATMOSPHERICAL DISPERSIONATMOSPHERICAL DISPERSION

DEPOSIT TO SOIL: EVEN AT LONG DISTANCEDEPOSIT TO SOIL: EVEN AT LONG DISTANCE

RADIOACTIVE CONTAMINATIONRADIOACTIVE CONTAMINATION

HEALTH EFFECTS OF DU HEALTH EFFECTS OF DU INHALATIONINHALATION

TUMORS AND GENETIC EFFECTSTUMORS AND GENETIC EFFECTS

CHEMICAL TOXICITYCHEMICAL TOXICITY

RADIOLOGICAL TOXICITY: LATE EFFECTSRADIOLOGICAL TOXICITY: LATE EFFECTS

Principle ZERO:Look for alternative practices which do not imply the use of ionising radiation to obtain the same result or

a result sufficient for the purpose.

Principle ZERO:Look for alternative practices which do not imply the use of ionising radiation to obtain the same result or

a result sufficient for the purpose.

TUNGSTEN (NON RADIOACTIVE)

HAS THE SAME USE OF DU

HOWEVER IT COSTS 200 $/KG (INSTEAD OF 2)

TUNGSTEN (NON RADIOACTIVE)

HAS THE SAME USE OF DU

HOWEVER IT COSTS 200 $/KG (INSTEAD OF 2)

According to these principle:

IF civil legislation based upon radioprotection principles

was applied to military use of depleted uranium

THEN this practice would not be authorised, i.e., unlawful.

According to these principle:

IF civil legislation based upon radioprotection principles

was applied to military use of depleted uranium

THEN this practice would not be authorised, i.e., unlawful.

The embargo that Iraq has had in the nineties caused a sharp rise of deaths in the country (nearly 1 million more deaths). In such a situation it is difficult to identify the effects of Depleted Uranium on population’s health

However, some “fingerprints” of Depleted Uranium have been useful in order to identify its effect: certain types of tumor (LH and LNH), leukaemias, etc.

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Tumors in Baghdad and other provinces in 1989 and 1994Tumors in Baghdad and other provinces in 1989 and 1994

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Al-Zafarania(Baghdad)

Al-Kifil(Babilonia)

Al-Faw(Bassora)

Al-Rumiala(Bassora)

Zonademilitarizzata

(Bassora)

Jabal-Sanam(Bassora)

μR/h

μR/h

Background Radioactivity Background Radioactivity

NATURALBACKGROUNDNATURALBACKGROUND

DU DU CONTAMINATIONCONTAMINATIONDU DU CONTAMINATIONCONTAMINATION

If we consider the million of deaths in Iraq in the nineties

Some thousands (tumors and malformations)are due to DU

If we consider the million of deaths in Iraq in the nineties

Some thousands (tumors and malformations)are due to DU

In the next 70 years:

Total tumors: 10.000-20.000

In the next 70 years:

Total tumors: 10.000-20.000

What happened to epidemiological data after the destructions of the 2003 war?

During the 2003 war, Iraqi cities have suffered wide destructions, and so hospitals, research institutions, etc..

Invaders wanted everything to be destroyed and forgotten….

Epidemiologists worked heroically to maintain this database through the

darkest days of 2003.

Dr Ahmed, an epidemiologist working with the cancer board, remembers, “We moved into the hospital in the first days

after the war, when no-one else was working, and managed to save all our

data. Everything was kept safe…and not destroyed by fire and looting.”

Epidemiologists worked heroically to maintain this database through the

darkest days of 2003.

Dr Ahmed, an epidemiologist working with the cancer board, remembers, “We moved into the hospital in the first days

after the war, when no-one else was working, and managed to save all our

data. Everything was kept safe…and not destroyed by fire and looting.”

Data of the Tumors RegisterData of the tumors register are quite

clear.Tumors haves shown, in the period

1989-1999, an increment of 5-7 times The highest rise has been for

leukaemias

Geographically, it is clear the correlation with zones where war has taken place (south of the Country), while the data for the north of the country are normal.

Tumor forecasts

On the base of these data, the forecasts of tumor cases in Iraq in the next years are tremendous

Iraq is full of chemical and radioactive pollutants

DU is just one of the causes of this phenomenon

CONCLUSION

It is important to gather data and researches in the field of DU and of the effects of the US “new wars” on man and environment

It is necessary to show that modern new weapons, instead of being “surgical”, produce unacceptable damages.

Effects of the US and NATO “new wars” on man and environment must be shown without reticence

THANKS FORATTENTION!

massimo.zucchetti@polito.ithttp://staff.polito.it/massimo.zucchetti/

MALFORMATIONS IN CHILDREN

OF IRAQ, AFGHANISTAN

AND US ARMY VETERANS

MALFORMATIONS IN CHILDREN

OF IRAQ, AFGHANISTAN

AND US ARMY VETERANS

Thanks for your attention,

Massimo

Thanks for your attention,

Massimo