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Understanding UMRC's Research
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a set of information
sheets
1.
What type of research and studies does UMRC conduct ?
2.
Origins of uranium internal contamination
3.
Human and biosphere exposure vectors
4. The
weapons that produce inhalable uranium contaminants
5.
UMRC’s three types of research
o
5.1 Radiological assessments
(bio-assay and screening programs)
o
5.2 Radiological
studies of exposed populations
o
5.3 Clinical
effects’ and medical consequences’ research
6.
Scientific methods, protocols and standards
7.
Disclaimer and a note of caution
8.
Limitation of resources for physicians and uranium exposed populations
9.
DU screening programs for Gulf and Balkan veterans
10.
Accuracy of information about uranium internal contamination
11.
Invitation to scientists
and clinical researchers
1. What type
of research and studies does UMRC conduct ?
UMRC is an independent scientific
research organisation conducting radiological, radio-biological and clinical
studies on the presence and medical effects of Uranium and Trans-Uranium
products. UMRC is specifically interested in developing medical sciences fields
of knowledge of the consequences of uranium
internal contamination via inhalation.
Uranium internal contamination via inhalation occurs through the intake of
airborne radioactive materials, filtered by the lungs. The lung inhalation
pathway is the exposure and contamination pathway of greatest risk to human
health from airborne radioactive material.
2. Origins of uranium internal
contamination
The sources and origins of
internal contamination under study by UMRC are derived from artificial,
technological and military applications of uranium and transuranic products.
Uranium products encompass both naturally occurring and artificially produced
actinides and their decay progeny. These materials are produced in a variety of
ways: milled and concentrated from natural ores, separated in the uranium
enrichment process, metallurgically processed, by-products and waste from
nuclear reactors, waste from weapons production, purposefully synthesised
by-products in nuclear reactors, and the associated decay chain products of
natural and man-made fission and fusion reactions.
3. Human and biosphere
exposure pathways
Air-borne radioactive materials
are both intentional and inadvertent outcomes of various phases of the nuclear
fuels and nuclear weapons production and deployment cycles. The proliferation,
over the past 12 years, of the deployment of weapons comprising uranium and its
by-products poses significant health hazards. These weapons produce
ballistically pulverised and thermally aerosolised particulate transported by
the air and subsequently inhaled and filtered out of the air by the lungs. The
result is acute contamination at the target site and down wind due to immediate
exposure to the airborne particulate and later, chronic contamination of the
environment following mesospheric settlement and mechanical re-suspension of the
contaminant.
4. The weapons that produce
inhalable uranium contaminants
Currently, of greatest
concern to human health and the biosphere are the biological and environmental
effects of the class of ship, air and ground launched weapons deployed by NATO
and Allied forces in the Persian Gulf, the Balkans and Afghanistan. Due to the
presence of radioactive materials and the radiological effects of these weapons,
they can be classified as “radiological weapons”. They may go by other names,
such as: radiation dispersion weapons, “dirty bombs”, uranium-alloyed weapons,
heavy metal or heavy alloy weapons and composite uranium-high explosive
ordnance.
Publicly, the best know weapons
are the uranium-alloyed kinetic energy penetrators (KEP’s) deployed in
Operations’ Desert Storm and later in Operations’ Desert Fox and Allied Force.
In addition, a new class of uranium alloyed and uranium-composite weapons is
being postulated. Based on government reports and independent research, there
is a growing body of evidence indicating the development and use of uranium in
hard-target, deep-penetration, and DBHT (deeply buried hard target) weapons that
combine uranium with high explosives (HE). This new generation of weapons is
considered to contain Non-Depleted Uranium that is extracted from the nuclear
fuels and nuclear weapons production cycles prior to the uranium enrichment
phase. It is not yet determined if the feed stocks and metal inventories of
these weapons contain transuranic products. These weapons are distinguished from
Depleted Uranium kinetic energy penetrators (KEP’s) in a number of ways:
(1)
use of pure uranium
(not DU) makes the weapons significantly more radioactive;
(2)
warheads are
believed to contain much higher volumes of radioactive material (100’s to 1000’s
of kilograms verses the 2 to 8 (+/-) kilograms of KEP’s;
(3)
thermo-ballistic
and pressure effects along with the mass of Uranium-HE composite weapons
releases higher total volumes and concentrations per cubic meter of air, of
aerosolised contaminant; and,
(4)
there are no
figures about the number of these weapons in use or explicit public admissions
of their existence by NATO.
5. UMRC conducts three types of
scientific and clinical studies
5.1 Radiological studies
(often referred to as screening programs and uranium bioassay studies)
UMRC analyses biological media (e.g., urine, bone, lung tissue, etc.) provided
by persons who suspect they have been internally contaminated by uranium. UMRC
analyses the specimens to detect the presence and measure the levels of abnormal
or artificial types of uranium contaminants. UMRC measures the levels
(concentrations and quantities) and the proportions (ratios) of the uranium
isotopes in the biological specimens to identify if contamination occurred, and
if so, the type and quantities of the material causing the contamination (e.g.,
depleted uranium, non-depleted uranium, reactor fuel waste products, etc.).
Biologically incorporated contaminants are compared to scientifically analysed
material present (extracted) at alleged sources of the contamination and
surrounding environment to determine the origin (i.e., geological or
technological origins).
UMRC’s radiological studies are used to provide clinical diagnostic support for
physicians of patients suspected of having been exposed to hazardous levels of
uranium and/or suffering from symptoms and presenting histories consistent with
internal contamination. UMRC’s radiological studies are conducted on both
living and deceased persons. Bioassay results (detected levels, types and
measurements of uranium) may be used, under a Release Agreement with the donor
(or their representatives) as experimental and control data in UMRC’s on-going
uranium research. The data from the bioassay analyses may be published. All
biological specimen donors agreeing to participate in UMRC’s studies are
protected by confidentiality agreements.
5.2 Radiological studies of exposed populations
UMRC conducts radiological studies on biological specimens from selected
populations suspected of wide-scale, uranium, internal contamination. These
studies are conducted to identify, measure and examine the causes, scope and
scale of possible contamination from acute exposure incidents and/or chronic
exposure conditions.
Population studies may involve surveys of medical and public health conditions
of uranium-exposed populations and associated geological assaying to determine
the extent and relationship of human and biosphere contamination. Where
required to corroborate radio-biological studies and subsequently determine the
origin of radioactive contaminants, UMRC conducts radiological and geo-chemical
analysis of natural and human-made artefacts. This includes studies on soil,
water, bomb-crater debris and shrapnel at sites and surrounding locations
subjected to radiological weapons and ordnance that may contain uranium.
5.3 Clinical effects’ and medical consequences’
research
UMRC conducts clinical studies on individuals and populations confirmed to have,
by radiological assessments and bioassays, uranium, internal contamination. The
object of these studies is to determine the cellular, organ and biological
systems’ effects of different types and levels of internal contamination. UMRC
is currently conducting clinical studies of the biological effects of ionizing
radiation and heavy-metal actinides on lung and kidney functions in populations
with acute and chronic exposure to NATO and Allied forces’ weapons deployed in
the Persian Gulf, the Balkans and Afghanistan.
6. Scientific methods, protocols and
standards
UMRC’s research is based in
established and evolving radio-biological, radio-chemistry and clinical research
protocols and methods. The field of radiological and radio-biological analysis
is evolving with the knowledge-base derived from on-going research and in
conjunction with the improvements in the sensitivity and capacity of laboratory
technologies and equipment used to detect and measure radioisotopes.
UMRC follows the
Scientific Method and the established process of
peer review
to ensure efficacy and validity of its work. UMRC does not make statements or
claims that are not substantiated by our research and/or other researchers whose
work is peer reviewed and replicable.
7.
Disclaimer and a note of caution
UMRC is not
responsible for the claims and conclusions of third parties that may publish or
report UMRC’s results without prior approval and review of the contents by UMRC.
This disclaimer refers also to radio, television and print interviews of UMRC
staff that have been edited without UMRC’s review. It is UMRC’s experience that
when scientific and research results are reported they often inadvertently omit
facts and information that are relevant to understanding the research and its
implications.
8.
Limitation of resources for physicians and uranium exposed populations
Clinical laboratories in hospitals and other
venues used to perform medical and diagnostic tests on patients do not normally
possess the equipment and resources to conduct radiological studies and
assessments. Many specialist laboratories equipped to detect and measure
radioisotopes are not sufficiently equipped or experienced to be able to detect
low-level internal contamination or distinguish internalized, artificially
formed, radioactive material from normal background levels of natural uranium in
the body or environment. Physicians and patients seeking radiological bio-assay
assessments from laboratories and non-clinical research settings should ensure
that the facility they select is technologically capable of detecting and
measuring radioisotopes below background levels and distinguish artificial
uranium from natural uranium.
Because of the expressed limitations in the
radio-biology and radio-chemistry analytical capacity of governments and
governmental-contract laboratories, UMRC has petitioned NATO member countries to
establish independent radiological screening programs for veterans and civilians
suspected of deleterious exposure to and or presenting with symptoms of uranium
internal contamination. To date, UMRC is not aware of any NATO nations with
screening programs capable of detecting and measuring low levels of
radioisotopes in biological media. Persian Gulf, Balkan and Afghan veterans and
civilians and their physicians have not been provided with the facilities,
freedom or financing to select independent laboratories with the proven
capabilities to conduct reliable studies to detect and measure uranium internal
contamination.
9. DU
screening programs for Gulf and Balkan veterans
UMRC’s reviews of
reports by NATO countries outlining their screening programs for Gulf and Balkan
veterans show that the programs are not technologically capable of detecting and
measuring Depleted Uranium in their veterans. Given the long elapsed time since
exposure, the Gulf War radiological screening programs are using laboratory
equipment with detection limits unable to conclusively identify or rule out, DU,
NDU or transuranic contamination in their veterans.
Currently, the
Canadian Department of National Defense has provided a voluntary screening
program to Gulf War veterans through government contract laboratories and Royal
Military College. A review of the program’s published report shows that the
screening program does not employ sufficiently sensitive equipment and
analytical methods capable of identifying trace levels of uranium contamination
in veterans at this late date after exposure. The DND laboratories have admitted
this limitation in a peer-reviewed paper published in the
Journal of Health Physics,
April 2002: An Examination of Uranium Levels in Canadian Forces Personnel Who
Served in the Gulf War and Kosovo, E.A. Ough et al.
The US Department of
Defense published an Information Paper, November 2002:
Impact of Laboratory Performance of Urine
Uranium Analysis on Exposure Evaluations for Gulf War Veterans.
Based on the poor performance of
DOD’s own laboratories, DOD questions the results of independent and
non-governmental studies. The report concluded that the laboratories are not
able to identify reliably and consistently, trace amounts of uranium in the
urine of exposed veterans later than a few weeks following the date of exposure.
These Canadian and
U.S. reports indicate the inability of defense departments’ to measure or
identify the types of uranium found in veterans’ urine. The absence of the
correct methods of preparing biological samples for analysis, the failure to
properly use their equipment (or select the best equipment) and the faulty
assumptions about the metabolic processes of internally incorporated uranium
have prevented veterans from receiving reliable radiological bioassays.
10.
Accuracy of studies and literature about uranium internal contamination
Because of the complexity of the science and
the controversial nature of the public policy issues surrounding uranium
(Depleted Uranium, Non-depleted Uranium and uranium adulterated with
transuranics), media and other reports frequently contain exaggerations and
mistaken conclusions not substantiated by scientific knowledge or research.
UMRC’s review of governmental studies, reports and standards reveal significant
limitations in assumptions and conclusions. Deficiencies are particularly
evident in the areas of:
§
The metabolic pathways of
uranium contaminate entering the body via inhalation.
§
The biological and dose effects
of internally incorporated, low-level ionizing radiation;
§
The scientific methods of
detecting and measuring uranium concentrations and isotopic ratios in biological
specimens;
§
The radio-biological processes
of chronic, long term internal exposure; and,
§
The ballistic and biospheric
transport phenomenon and vectors of exposure of military personnel and civilians
of inhalable uranium particulate
11. Invitation to scientists and clinical researchers
The test of efficacy of
all scientific research is its “repeatability”. UMRC encourages and supports
the principle of critical and rigorous scientific examination. We invite
professional and sincere co-operation with organisations and individuals sharing
our commitment to research and investigations into uranium internal
contamination. We invite researchers to examine and replicate our published
studies, measurements, methodologies and statistical analysis of radio-isotopic
concentrations, compositions and ratios. We encourage others to collect and
examine corroborating biological specimens taken from exposed populations and
geological samples taken from sites that may be the source of contamination.
To be reliable and
accurate, replication of UMRC’s studies must be conducted on equipment, using
methods sufficiently sensitive to detect nano- and picogram levels of uranium in
biological samples and clinical specimens. US DOD and Canadian DND studies
admittedly can only detect uranium at much higher (microgram) concentrations.
Attempts to repeat our research without sufficiently sensitive equipment and
established methods to prepare the samples, calibrate the equipment and measure
the isotopes do not constitute replication.
Methodology and
procedural information are available to researchers by contacting UMRC directly
and by reviewing UMRC’s published papers and society presentations. All
collaborative research with UMRC is conducted under the auspices of agreements
between UMRC and the principal researchers and laboratories. UMRC has published
its methodology and provides direction to researchers and laboratories to ensure
effective methods of analysis.
For
further information contact UMRC at info@umrc.net
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