Biologic monitoring and surveillance results for the department of veterans affairs' depleted uranium cohort: Lessons learned from sustained exposure over two decades

Background A small group of Gulf War I veterans wounded in depleted uranium (DU) friendly fire incidents have been monitored in a clinical surveillance program at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Baltimore since 1994. Methods An in‐patient clinical surveillance protocol was performed on 35 membe...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:American journal of industrial medicine 2015-06, Vol.58 (6), p.583-594
Main Authors: McDiarmid, Melissa A., Gaitens, Joanna M., Hines, Stella, Condon, Marian, Roth, Tracy, Oliver, Marc, Gucer, Patricia, Brown, Lawrence, Centeno, Jose A., Streeten, Elizabeth, Squibb, Katherine S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
alpha-emission
Biomarkers - analysis
Biomarkers - urine
Bone and Bones - metabolism
DU bio-monitoring
Environmental Monitoring - statistics & numerical data
Gulf War
health surveillance
Humans
Isotopes - toxicity
Isotopes - urine
Kidney Function Tests
Longitudinal Studies
Lung - radiation effects
Metals - urine
Middle Aged
Population Surveillance - methods
United States
United States Department of Veterans Affairs
Uranium - toxicity
Uranium - urine
Veterans - statistics & numerical data
War Exposure - adverse effects
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Summary:Background A small group of Gulf War I veterans wounded in depleted uranium (DU) friendly fire incidents have been monitored in a clinical surveillance program at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Baltimore since 1994. Methods An in‐patient clinical surveillance protocol was performed on 35 members of the cohort, including exposure monitoring for total and isotopic uranium concentrations in urine and a comprehensive assessment of health outcomes. Results Although urine U concentrations continue to be elevated in this group, illustrating on‐going in situ mobilization of U from embedded fragments, no consistent U‐related health effects have been observed. Conclusions Now more than 20 years since first exposure to DU, an aging cohort of military veterans continues to show no U‐related health effects in known target organs of U toxicity. As tissue concentrations continue to accrue with exposure duration, critical tissue‐specific U concentration thresholds may be reached, thus recommending on‐going surveillance of this veteran cohort. Am. J. Ind. Med. 58:583–594, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
ISSN:0271-3586
1097-0274
DOI:10.1002/ajim.22435