Environmental Pollution Resulting From the Use of Depleted Uranium Weaponry Against Iraq During 1991 Dr. Souad Al-Azawi Dr. Baha H. Ma'aruf Dr. Mukdam S, Abdul-Rahman Env. Eng. Dept. Iraqi Atomic Energy Org. Nuclear. Eng. Dept. College of Engineering Baghdad traq College of Engineering University of Baghdad University of Baghdad Muhammed A. Al-Saji Waleed M. Rasheed Abmed J. Mugwar Baghdad Iraq Baghdad Iraq Baghdad frag. Abstract The U.S.A. and its allies used a new generation of radiological weaponry during their aggression against Iraq in 1991. These weapons are called the Depleted Uranium Projectiles .The projectiles were manufactured for the first time in the U.S.A. from radioactive waste generated from the enrichment process of (U-238) to produce spent fuel for nuclear reactors. Practically, these weapons should be prohibited due to their destructive effects on civilians and the environmental elements for thousands of years to come. This research has been conducted in selected areas in Southern Iraq where these weapons were used extensively by the American troops .The studied area are: Safwan City, Al- Zubair, Jabal Sanam, Southern Rumaila Oil Fields and Northern Rumaila Oil Fields, which are all suburbs of Basrah City. The goals of this research include measuring the increase in radioactivity in these areas through direct measurements and sampling of soil, surface and ground water, and the living tissues of plants and animals. Also, it includes the results of laboratory testing using high purity Germanium Gamma Spectrometry. The laboratory tests were all conducted in Environmental Radiological Department of the Iragi Atomic Energy Organization and according to (IAEA, 1981) standards method. 124 onsite exposure measurements were taken using portable scintillation counters. Also, 124 soil samples were recovered from high exposure rate areas. 58 surface and groundwater samples and 154 living tissues (from plants and animals) were also collected for laboratory tests. The sampling program was conducted after intensive studies of the geology, hydrology, geomorphology, climatology, soil conditions and radiological history of the area. It was also strongly correlated to the existence of about 13 destroyed tanks and four armored vehicles in the area. Exposure measurements indicated the highest gamma radiation exposures in and around the areas of the destroyed targets. These measurements ranged between 9.7 ~ 184 uR/hr compared to natural background levels in the area of 6 ~ 7 R/hr.Throughout the whole study area, Jabal Sanam area showed the highest exposure rates. Southern and Northern Rumaila oil fields also recorded higher levels of exposure than the background levels. Sufwan and Al-Zubair areas were only slightly higher than the natural background levels due to difficulties in identifying which areas contained the destroyed artillery that had been cleared out two years before the research began. The 124 soil samples that have been collected from 39 locations, including the destroyed targets, showed higher radiation activity than natural background levels. Depths of reclaimed soil samples ranged between 0 -30 cm. Six samples were collected from, and around, each destroyed tank or armored vehicle in the wind direction. Laboratory test results using a high-purity Germanium spectrometer showed ranges of activities of U-235 (60 - 1050 Ba/Kg) and of U-238 (measured as Th-234) ranged between 273 - 65,200 Bq/Kg. Activity ratios of 0.003 — 0.0327 prove the existence of Depleted Uranium contamination in these areas. Contamination levels and areas are site specific, measuring the highest activity within 10 m of the destroyed tank, and diminishing further from the site, Surface and ground water sample testing showed no clear evidence of radiological contamination due to a poor exploration program and being unable to collect water samples from shallow aquifers in the area. Surface water channel sediments showed elevated activity of (2-3) folds of the natural background level in the area. The 154 plant and animal tissues laboratory test results showed a slight increase of activity of Th-234 in four samples of widely distributed wild plants (Haloxylon Salicornicum and Stippa Capenisis) that were very close to the destroyed targets. 1.0 Introduction During the war of 1991, the USA and its allies used a new generation of weaponry called (Depleted Uranium Projectiles) against the people and environment of Iraq. These weapons were used for the first time in history to destroy armored vehicles and civilian targets, especially in areas in the south of Iraq. Due to a lack of information about this weapon during 1991, and the following years, this research was carried out in 1995 - 1996 to define the environmental damage as a result of the use of these radioactive weapons, presented below is some information about the nature and components of these weapons. 1.1 Depleted Uranium During the preparation of spent fuel for nuclear reactors, processing and enrichment of uranium is done to concentrate U-235 isotopes, among other uranium isotopes (U-230, U- 234, U-238, U-235). The content ratios of these isotopes in the natural metal are 0.002%, 0.0058%, 99.28%, and 0.71% respectively [1]. Depleted uranium (DU) is the highly toxic and radioactive byproduct of the uranium enrichment process. It is so called“Depleted” because the content of the fissionable U-235 isotope is reduced form 0.7% to 0.2% during the enrichment process [2]. The depleted uranium is roughly 60% as radioactive as naturally occurring uranium metal, if not concentrated ; but since it is highly concentrated in the bullets , its radioactivity is a lot more than natural occurring ore and has a half-life of 4.5 billion years. Enrichment of uranium for about 50 years in the U.S.A., to be used in nuclear reactors and weapons, produced around 1.1 billion pounds of DU waste. Testing large and small caliber rounds of this weapon proved that it was highly effective in piercing armor. Also, the Pentagon found that using DU in tank armor made them less vulnerable to penetration from conventional rounds [2]. The American army fired thousands of rounds of DU during the war. The Airforce A-10 aircraft fired approximately 940,000 (30mm) rounds of DU during combat in 1991. The weight of this penetrator is 272 gm; therefore about 564,000 pounds of depleted uranium were fired during the war [2]. Also, MIAI tanks fired 120-mm rounds, while MI and M60 tanks fired 105-mm rounds. The weight of the DU penetrator dart for 120-mm rounds is 10.7 pounds and for 105-mm rounds it is 8.5 pounds. 14,000 DU tank rounds were used and about 7000 rounds were fired during training in Saudi Arabia, 4000 rounds were fired during combat and 3000 were lost due to fires and other accidents. When a DU projectile strikes a hard surface, up to 70% of the penetrator oxidizes into fumes and the shell scatters into small particles. These fumes and particles can be considered a continuous source of radioactivity in these areas. Figure 1 shows different parts of a DU bullet , and Table (1) shows types of DU related weaponry in the USA army arsenal . ‘Table (1) Types of DU Related Weaponry That Have Been Used by USA and British Against Iraq During 1991 War a “Type of Weapon DU Weight 30 Air Force Ax TOA Thunder BolT sim 30 Navy Version 300 rasa1 | 15 | USAmy—Tanks M1 and M60 equipped with an MGB 22k TH Tos] US Amy FATTY Maa? 120 [US Army= Tanks MI Mand Tanks MIAT, MIA “abrams™ FATTY ‘M529 GETRED | 120 [0S army = Tanks MM and Tanks MIA. MIA2.“abrams™ 40s M20 (ATA) [120] US Army = Tanks MI--M60 and Tanks MIA I MIA2,“abrams” 9k 1833 105 [ US Anny = Tanks MU M60 equipped by EX35-105 mim 3.Tke 1D 25 [US Army = Bradley Fighting Vehicle Se XMIOOET 70S US Army = Tanks MILM6O 10s “ADAM & FOM_[ Land Mins [ US Amy =155 mm bowie item 2.0 Objectives of this Study This research is a part of other ongoing researches to define the environmental pollution and damage resulting from the use of depleted uranium weaponry during the war in 1991