Depleted Uranium Follow-Up
Program
Depleted uranium (DU) is a
by-product of the uranium
enrichment process; it
possesses less U-235 and
about 50% of the
radioactivity of natural
uranium. During the Gulf
War, uranium containing
munitions were used on a
large scale for the first
time. It was used by the
United States military in
projectiles and armor for
tanks. While thousands of
military personnel had
proximity to uranium
munitions, either as they
were stockpiled, transported
or while riding in vehicles
carrying these weapons, of
most concern have been those
individuals who were on or
in vehicles when struck by
depleted uranium
projectiles. DU is a
radiation hazard primarily
if internalized, such as in
shrapnel, contaminated
wounds, and inhalation. In
addition to its
radioactivity, DU has some
chemical toxicity related to
being a heavy metal (similar
to lead).
When the DU Program was
established in 1993, only a
limited number of US
veterans were known to have
been directly wounded by DU
weapons. In 1997, the
Departments of Veterans
Affairs and Defense became
aware that a number of other
service members beyond those
first identified by DoD in
1993-1994, were also
potentially exposed to DU.
DoD's Office of the Special
Assistant for Gulf War
Illnesses (OSAGWI) was
tasked with investigating
and locating a number of
veterans potentially exposed
to DU beyond the original
participants in the
program. VACO officials in
the Office of Public Health
and Environmental Hazards,
OSAGWI and Baltimore program
officials collaborated to
initiate a program to assess
potential DU exposure to
service members, identify
and inform those service
members of the possibility
of exposure to DU and advise
them of the availability of
testing to determine current
urine uranium levels.
VHA Handbook 1303.4
Evaluation Protocol for
Non-Gulf War Veterans with
Potential Exposure to
Depleted Uranium (DU)
September 2, 2004
1303.4hk 209-02-04.pdf
VHA Handbook 1303.1
Evaluation Protocol for Gulf
War and Iraqi Freedom
Veterans with Potential
Exposure to Depleted Uranium
September 2, 2004
http://www1.va.gov/vhapublications/ViewPublication.asp?pub_ID=1158
(links to PDF
file)
VA Form 10-9009D
Depleted Uranium (DU)
Questionnaire
Appendix A, VHA Handbook
1303.1
10-9009D.pdf
VA Form 10-9009E
Depleted Uranium Program
Checklist
24-Hour Urine Uranium
Collection
Baltimore VA Medical Center
Appendix B, VHA Handbook
1303.1
10-9009f.pdf
Depleted Uranium - FAQ Sheet
Prepared by the Depleted
Uranium Follow-up Program
VA Maryland Healthcare
System, Baltimore Division,
January 2000
revised January 2002.
DepletedUraniumFAQSheet.doc