Measuring Aerosols Generated Inside Armoured Vehicles Perforated by Depleted Uranium Ammunition
- BATTELLE (PACIFIC NW LAB)
In response to questions raised after the Gulf War about the health significance of exposure to depleted uranium (DU), the U.S. Department of Defense initiated a study designed to provide an improved scientific basis for assessment of possible health effects of soldiers in vehicles struck by these munitions. As part of this study, a series of DU penetrators were fired at an Abrams tank and a Bradley fighting vehicle, and the aerosols generated by vehicle perforation were collected and characterized. A robust sampling system was designed to collect aerosols in this difficult environment and to monitor continuously the sampler flow rates. Interior aerosols collected were analyzed for uranium concentration and particle size distribution as a function of time. They were also analyzed for uranium oxide phases, particle morphology, and dissolution in vitro. These data will provide input for future prospective and retrospective dose and health risk assessments of inhaled or ingested DU aerosols. This paper briefly discusses the target vehicles, firing trajectories, aerosol samplers and instrumentation control systems, and the types of analyses conducted on the samples.
- Research Organization:
- Pacific Northwest National Lab., Richland, WA (US)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- US Department of Energy (US)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC06-76RL01830
- OSTI ID:
- 15005743
- Report Number(s):
- PNNL-SA-39578; 400403209; TRN: US0305738
- Journal Information:
- Radiation Protection Dosimetry, Vol. 105, Issue 1-4; Other Information: PBD: 1 Jan 2003
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE
AEROSOLS
AMMUNITION
CONTROL SYSTEMS
DEPLETED URANIUM
FLOW RATE
IN VITRO
MILITARY EQUIPMENT
PARTICLE SIZE
RISK ASSESSMENT
URANIUM
URANIUM OXIDES
US DOD
DEPLETED URANIUM AEROSOLS
URANIUM AEROSOL CONCENTRATIONS