War veterans test negative for depleted uranium

FULLTEXT of news item: TESTS designed to detect depleted uranium in the urine samples of Gulf War veterans even after 15 years have shown no evidence of contamination. Researchers at NERC's Isotope Geosciences Laboratory, based at the British Geological Survey (BGS) and Royal Holloway University of London, in conjunction with the Depleted Uranium Oversight Board, developed a very sensitive test to detect traces of depleted uranium (DU) in urine from soldiers involved in the 1991 Gulf War and the Balkans conflicts. The work also included the testing of a smaller control population for comparison. War veterans test negative for depleted uranium been exposed to depleted uranium.’ The BGS and University of Leicester team also conducted another study around a depleted uranium munitions factory in Albany, New York State. 'It has been more than 20 years since DU contaminated the land around the site yet we could clearly detect it in a significant proportion of the urine samples of the people we tested,' said Randy. The findings of the veterans' study were published earlier this year as the Depleted Uranium Oversight Board's final report. FEMALE fish are attracted to males who have eaten antioxidants, according to new research. Male sticklebacks eat brightly coloured carotenoids which contain a pigment that gives fish an attractive red throat during the breeding season. Carotenoids are also natural antioxidants which slow down the rate of aging and support a healthy immune system. Researchers from the Universities of Glasgow and Exeter discovered that males who ate fewer carotenoids still tried to produce a bright red throat, but could only do so by diverting these antioxidants Females attracted to healthy eaters away from their health promoting role. So by trying to look as good, they aged faster. One of the researchers, Thomas Pike, said, ‘It seems that females can tell if males haven't eaten many carotenoids, even if they do look quite red. They probably found these males less attractive because they were more likely to die before they had finished looking after their young.’ ‘Carotenoids, oxidative stress and female mating preference for longer-lived males’, Proceedings. Biological Sciences, 2007. These tests were designed to estimate the maximum level of DU exposure to veterans up to 15 years ago. None of the 464 urine samples tested positive for exposure to DU, though the extent of any initial exposure of those tested was unknown. Head of NERC’s Isotope Geosciences Laboratory Professor Randall Parrish said, ‘To my knowledge these were the first tests of this kind to have been carried out. ‘The tests were voluntary. Anyone who wanted to put themselves forward for testing could do so, provided they could show that they had been in situations where they could have been exposed to depleted uranium.’ The BGS and University of Leicester team also conducted another study around a depleted uranium munitions factory in Albany, New York State. 'It has been more than 20 years since DU contaminated the land around the site yet we could clearly detect it in a significant proportion of the urine samples of the people we tested,' said Randy. The findings of the veterans' study were published earlier this year as the Depleted Uranium Oversight Board's final report.