Depleted Uranium - Lung Cancer

I subscribed to a News Catch site some 4 to 6 months ago to see one: if it would give me any information on Depleted Uranium as to any articles popping up, and two: if it really worked as described.

Well for about the first couple of months I was getting report E's that were stating nothing was being reported, than those stopped, and I had forgotten about it.

Than this morning, before heading to work, I received the following:

Depleted uranium may post health hazard
UPI.com
Mon, May 7, 2007 07:00:00 PM CDT
A U.S. study suggests exposure to particles of depleted uranium might increase the risk ...damage and lung cancer. Depleted uranium is the material remaining ...twice that of lead, depleted uranium is ideal for use ...Southern Maine have discovered depleted uranium dust produced in combat ...tested the effects of depleted uranium dust ...

Bingo!!

So I visited the link, than took a few of the important words and phrases and found the following:

Particulate Depleted Uranium Is Cytotoxic and Clastogenic to
Human Lung Cells

Abstract:

Depleted uranium (DU) is commonly used in military armor and munitions, and thus, exposure of soldiers and non-combatants is potentially frequent and widespread. DU is considered a suspected human carcinogen, affecting the bronchial cells of the lung. However, few investigations have studied DU in human bronchial cells. Accordingly, we determined the cytotoxicity and clastogenicity of both particulate (water-insoluble) and soluble DU in human bronchial fibroblasts (WTHBF-6 cells). We used uranium trioxide (UO3) and uranyl acetate (UA) as prototypical particulate and soluble DU salts, respectively. After a 24 h exposure, both UO3 and UA induced concentration-dependent cytotoxicity in WTHBF-6 cells. Specifically, 0.1, 0.5, 1, and 5 g/cm2 UO3 induced 99, 57, 32, and 1% relative survival, respectively. Similarly, 100, 200, 400, and 800 M UA induced 98, 92, 70, and 56% relative survival, respectively. When treated with chronic exposure, up to 72 h, of either UO3 or UA, there was an increased degree of cytotoxicity. We assessed the clastogenicity of these compounds and found that at concentrations of 0, 0.5, 1, and 5 g/cm2 UO3, 5, 6, 10, and 15% of metaphase cells exhibit some form of chromosome damage. UA did not induce chromosome damage above background levels. There were slight increases in chromosome damage induced when we extended the UO3 treatment time to 48 or 72 h, but no meaningful increase in chromosome damage was observed with chronic exposure to UA.

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Now, I'm not a scientist and it's been a looooong time since any high school chemistry classes, so I'll leave this up to those who get the lingo.

But the way I'm reading it, what was suspected, and seen in some pictures of the Iraqi people, this report/study may have punched a hole in the dam of information needed on what DU is really doing and our widespread use of!