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Depleted Uranium
Deployment Exposure & Chemicals Deployment Health

Depleted Uranium (DU) is a dense, slightly radioactive heavy metal used by the United States and other countries in making ammunition, armor, aircraft counterweights, and other materials.  Because of its density and penetrating power, DU is an excellent material for making armor and armor-piercing weapons.

Sources of Information

  1. Depleted Uranium Fact Sheet – Individual - This page is a fact sheet on depleted uranium and how it relates to your health.
  2. Depleted Uranium – Medical - This page discusses screening, treatment, medical surveillance, and risk communication.
  3. Urine Testing for Depleted Uranium - This page outlines some basic information about DU and the medical test most often used to determine if a person has been exposed to DU.
  4. Depleted Uranium in the Gulf Environmental Exposure Report - Many Gulf War veterans have expressed concern their unexplained illnesses may result from their experiences in that war. In response to veterans' concerns, the Department of Defense (DoD) established a task force in June 1995 to investigate those incidents and circumstances relating to possible causes. The Office of the Special Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of Defense for Gulf War Illnesses assumed responsibility for these investigations on November 12, 1996, and gathered information on depleted uranium. This is the second interim report on depleted uranium; it updates the August 4, 1998 Environmental Exposure Report, "Depleted Uranium in the Gulf."
  5. Scientific Literature Review of Depleted Uranium - This is a review principally summarizing the scientific literature on the known health effects of given exposures to depleted uranium. Where available evidence permits, the reviews also summarize what is known about the range of actual exposures in the Gulf and assess the plausibility of the risk factor at-hand as a cause of illnesses. Statements related to the Gulf War experience should be regarded as suggestive rather than definitive, for much more research both on health effects and exposures remains to be completed before definitive statements are made.
  6. Toxicological Profile on Uranium - This is the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry toxicological profile  characterizing the toxicological and adverse health effects information for uranium.


This page last updated on March 2, 2010.
Content last reviewed on March 2, 2010.