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