Any of Canada's military personnel who end up in
combat zones during the waron terrorism should be
tested for exposure to depleted uranium, says the
widow of a Gulf War veteran."I am begging that this
country and the United States take care of these
people and their families," said Sue Riordon, whose
husband died with a high level of the heavy metal in
his bones. "Immediately upon touching home soil, all
of them should be tested. That would be the smart and
prudent thing to do." Riordon has been fighting a
running battle with the federal government to
acknowledge the apparent health risks of low-level
exposure to the radioactive substance that some
believe is linked to the Gulf War Syndrome.She
proposes a basic urine test. "For our people in
uniform, it would be an act of good faith," she
said."It's wonderful to support and stand together in
a crisis, but there will bea crisis when they come
home. "Depleted uranium is used to coat artillery
shells and other munitions, making them harder and
more likely to penetrate the thick skin of armoured
vehicles. Canada doesn't use the weapons, but the U.S.
employed them in the Gulf War and Kosovo. It's not
clear whether they're being used in Afghanistan. The
weapons became an issue in Canada a couple of years
ago after an independent autopsy on Capt. Terry
Riordon showed he died with a high level of the
radioactive substance in his body. Despite the public
attention to the issue, the Canadian Forces said it's
not interested in a specific testing program for
returning veterans. "When our soldiers go overseas
they're not at risk, on a large scale, to depleted
uranium exposure," said Lieut. Hollie Ryan, a
spokeswoman for the Defence Department in Ottawa.
Canada has committed warships and aircraft to the
fight, but the biggest risk of exposure would be for
combat infantry. If Canadian personnel came in contact
with the depleted uranium, Ryan said, they would know
what to do. They've been issued gas masks, for
example, and the means to register radiation. "We do
not anticipate having to treat depleted-uranium
casualties." During the 1991 Gulf War, several
American vehicles were hit by their own fire and
soldiers ended up with pieces of depleted uranium
embedded in them. Those casualties are thought to be
at the greatest risk for long-term health problems.
Another school of thought suggests just being in areas
where depleted uranium shells have exploded could be a
health hazard.