Abstract
Since the Gulf-Bay war in 1991, usage of depleted uranium was big problem which may cause severe health effects. DU bullets were used in the Iraq War in 2003, however, isotopic evidence has not been reported.In the present work, U-235/U-238 isotopic ratios were measured by gamma spectrometry for the samples collected just after the end of Iraq War. The samples are black powderfrom desgtroyed factory, powder collected by smear method from inner wall of tank and bullets surface.U-238 and U-235 were determined by 63 keV gamma ray from Th-234 and 186 keV one from U-235 by Ge detectors in Ogoya Underground Laboratory. The U-235/U-238 isotopic ratios were measured to be 0.209 ± 0.04% for black powder, 0.186 ± 0.006% for fine powder from inner wall of tank and 0.197 ± 0.011% for bullet surface. These values agree with those measured by Kosovo samples indicating that DU were used in the Iraq War. [J Radiat Res 44:429 (2003)]
