SARAJEVO, June 5 (Hina) - An expert team, set up by the Portuguese government, has established that there is no threat of radiation caused by depleted uranium in Bosnia-Herzegovina and that the radiation measured in Bosnia could not
have caused malignant diseases with Portuguese solders who served in the peace operation in that country. Portugal's Ambassador in Sarajevo, Luis Manuel Bariera de Souza, handed over a report of the fact-finding team, that stayed in Bosnia between 10 and 19 January this year, to the Bosnian Council of Ministers' chairman, Bozidar Matic, on Tuesday. After collecting and analysing soil samples, the team established that the only unnatural radioactive element which was possible to find in Bosnia was Caesium-137, read a statement released by the Bosnian ministerial council. This element arrives in the soil as a result of nuclear experiments or after incidents such as the 1984 disaster in the Cherno
SARAJEVO, June 5 (Hina) - An expert team, set up by the Portuguese
government, has established that there is no threat of radiation
caused by depleted uranium in Bosnia-Herzegovina and that the
radiation measured in Bosnia could not have caused malignant
diseases with Portuguese solders who served in the peace operation
in that country.
Portugal's Ambassador in Sarajevo, Luis Manuel Bariera de Souza,
handed over a report of the fact-finding team, that stayed in Bosnia
between 10 and 19 January this year, to the Bosnian Council of
Ministers' chairman, Bozidar Matic, on Tuesday.
After collecting and analysing soil samples, the team established
that the only unnatural radioactive element which was possible to
find in Bosnia was Caesium-137, read a statement released by the
Bosnian ministerial council.
This element arrives in the soil as a result of nuclear experiments
or after incidents such as the 1984 disaster in the Chernobyl
nuclear power plant.
According to the Portuguese report, a level of radiation caused by
Caesium-137 in Bosnia is insignificantly higher than in Portugal.
Therefore, it could not cause malignant diseases with the
Portuguese men who were deployed within the international NATO-led
SFOR troops.
The team conducted this analysis to check allegations that there
was a link between an increase in the number of case of malignant
diseases and the use of the depleted uranium ammunition in Bosnia.
The report finishes with the assertion that the food produced in
Bosnia was not contaminated nor did the food present any risk to
health of people.
Allegations about an increasing number of cases of cancer among
international peace keepers in Bosnia appeared in the Italian press
at the end of the last year.
The allegations aroused a flurry of speculation that the soil and
groundwater in the Balkans were contaminated due to the use of arms
with DU ammunition during NATO military operations in Bosnia and
Kosovo.
The allegations were not corroborated by relevant evidence. In
addition, according to available medical indicators, there was no
any dramatic increase in the number of cases of malignant diseases
among the local population in Bosnia.
(hina) ms