Health Consequences of Depleted Uranium application in the Persian Gulf & Balkan conflicts

Uranium (Z=92) as the heaviest natural element consists of the three following isotopes with the respected abundance (238 U=99.2746%,235U=0.72%, 234U=0.0054%). Depleted Uranium is the product or byproduct of any process in which the percent of 235U or 234U reduces. Today, Depleted Uranium is used in radiation shielding plates, counterweights and balance in jetliners, armor piercing munitions and reinforcing armored military vehicles. Environmental and occupational exposure occurs mostly by ingestion or inhalation, respectively. Recently some theories have been proposed about mechanisms involving radiation damage by alpha emitting particles like uranium according to them in addition to DNA damage as a critical target molecule, some other extranuclear critical sites exist and involve. In this article, By stander theory and Second Event theory are discussed and epidemiologic and experimental evidences reviewed.