US scientists have developed a way to tell if war veterans have been in contact with depleted uranium.

Exposure to depleted uranium in military equipment may be bad for soldier's health

Depleted uranium is a by-product of uranium enrichment for nuclear power plants. It has less uranium-235 isotope than natural uranium. It is used in a variety of materials, including tank armour and ammunition. There are concerns that it might be bad for the health of soldiers who are exposed to it through, for example, wounds or inhalation.

Todor Todorov, at the US Geological Survey in Denver, and colleagues analysed blood samples from US Gulf War I veterans who had been involved in friendly fire incidents. 'Depleted uranium exposure from the Gulf War and conflicts in the former Yugoslavia has been a health concern in the past decade for military and peace keeping forces,' says Todorov. Using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, he measured the ratio of uranium isotopes in the blood samples. Because the isotope ratios for depleted and natural uranium are different, Todorov was able to work out the source of the uranium.

Other methods to identify uranium exposure analyse urine samples. Todorov explains that by using blood, he can gain information on depleted uranium transport rates in the body. 'This can be used to develop biokinetic models for depleted uranium exposure,' he says, adding that the method is simple, rapid and robust.

In the future, the team plans to focus on developing bioassays for measuring the level of uranium in semen so that the effects of depleted uranium exposure on reproductive health can be evaluated.

Madelaine Chapman