By: Berna Villanueva

What is Depleted Uranium (DU)? DU as a public health issue Current policies / practices Public Health Implication Learning Objectives

When uranium is enriched, you get depleted uranium 40% less radioactive than natural uranium but same chemical toxicity

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Radioactivity versus Chemical Toxicity Gulf war syndrome and toxic embedded substances Iraqi population Animal studies Atmospheric and environmental concerns Potential Health Risks and Issues associated with DU Use and Exposure

Depleted uranium weaponry fails all four tests. For that reason it is illegal under all treaties, all agreements and all war conventions: The military use of DU violates current international humanitarian law, including the principle that there is no unlimited right to choose the means and methods of warfare (Art. 22 Hague Convention VI (HCIV); Art. 35 of the Additional Protocol to the Geneva (GP1); the ban on causing unnecessary suffering and suoperfluous injury (Art. 23 §le HCIV; Art. 35 §2 GP1), indiscriminate warfare (Art. 51 §4c and 5b GP1) as well as the use of poison or poisoned weapons. The deployment and use of DU violate the principles of international environmental and human rights protection. They contradict the right to life established by the Resolution 1996/16 of the UN Subcommittee on Human Rights. “ Weapons must pass four tests in order to determine that they are legal under international law. The tests are: TEMPORAL TEST – Weapons must not continue to act after the battle is over. ENVIRONMENTAL TEST – Weapons must not be unduly harmful to the environment. TERRITORIAL TEST – Weapons must not act off of the battlefield. HUMANENESS TEST – Weapons must not kill or wound inhumanely. LEGALITY TEST FOR WEAPONS UNDER INTERNATIONAL LAW

US Department of Defense: 2003 Health Affairs Policy and Operation Iraqi Freedom DU Medical Management US Department of Energy: Depleted UF6 (Uranium) Management Program U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 2010 UN General Assembly (148 to 4 votes) - (UNEP, WHO, IAEA) DU Ban: Belgium (2009) and Costa Rica (2011) Current Policies, Programs, Practices

Advocate for screening of those exposed and long- term follow-up (veterans, populations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Balkans) Advocate for policy of either restricting use of DU munitions or requiring military organizations to disclose what munitions are composed of (taking into account environmental and human rights protection) Further research in potential health and environmental effects of DU (prevention) Enforcing UN Resolution Public Health Implications

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