Effects of Depleted Uranium

Re “Uranium Warheads May Leave Both Sides a Legacy of Death for Decades,” Commentary, March 30: Susanna Hecht should be ashamed for launching a terrorist attack on readers and the families of servicemen and -women in Iraq. Her scare piece on the alleged dangers of depleted uranium contains much speculation and very few facts. DU is neither lethal nor “highly toxic” and there is absolutely no evidence that it is any more dangerous than the residue left by lead bullets used in warfare for centuries.

As the head of the UCLA environmental analysis and policy program, Hecht must know that the dust storms that sweep through Iraq year after year pose a far greater health hazard than the few micrograms per square mile of DU that might be left in the soil. The dust storms themselves create what engineers call a “fluidized bed” in which the denser particles, in this case DU, will settle out before the lighter sand particles. Therefore any traces of DU will be rather quickly covered by sand and will certainly not require “billions” for decontamination.

Mark Dusbabek

La Quinta

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“Face the Uranium Issue” (editorial, March 31) attempts to weaken the growing anger against depleted uranium weapons and the effect they are having on veterans and the environment. Suggesting its use is limited to respiratory and vision ailments dismisses the many medical problems our men and women face after the Gulf War, Kosovo and, soon, this recent expedition. The military has repeatedly turned a deaf ear to the cries of our men and women for help and instead has suppressed evidence that identifies fault -- remember Agent Orange? Our fighting men and women have become pawns in a global power grab by the U.S. that has shown indifference to them. If you truly support our troops, then demand the end of depleted uranium.

Don Leeper

Glendora

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Your editorial encourages discussion about “long-term environmental and health hazards” posed by depleted uranium. Folks, the comparison is not between DU and nothing, it is between DU and lead. Comparison with lead favored DU for making bullets and projectiles because of the higher density of DU. For each hazard studied for DU, the alternative to consider is lead. Try this on “contamination risk to ground and drinking water,” cancer and leukemia and metal “burning.”

Walter Studhalter

Woodland Hills