Donella Meadows valoban megerdemel egy imat valamennyi joerzesu embertol.
G.Gy.

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lapzarta utan erkezo hirek:
sajnos Dana eletenek megmentesere a remeny egyre kevesebb....
a reszleteket kertek, hogy egyelore ne terjesszuk.
mindenesetre folytassa az imat Danaert, aki gondolja...

Diana
KORNYESZ moderator
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UNEP confirms plutonium found in DU ammunition

Geneva/Nairobi, 16 February 2001 - Traces of plutonium have been 
detected in the DU penetrators found at sites in Kosovo that were 
investigated in November 2000 by the United Nations Environment 
Programme?s Depleted Uranium Assessment Team, which 
included the International Atomic Energy Agency, UNEP reported 
here today. 

The existence of plutonium was confirmed by the two laboratories 
tasked with analysing the penetrators - the Swiss AC-Laboratory 
Spiez and the Swedish Radiation Protection Institute (SSI). 
Together with three other European laboratories, these labs have 
been analysing a total of 340 soil, water, and other samples taken 
during the November field mission.

The traces of isotopes Pu-239/240 were found in four different 
penetrators (ammunition tips). The amount of plutonium in the 
penetrators varied from 0.8 to 12.87 Bq/kg. In January, UNEP 
confirmed that some labs had also found the uranium isotope U-
236 in the penetrators. (Note:  Bq = becquerel, a measure of 
radioactivity.)

The presence of these transuranic elements in the DU indicates 
that at least some of the material has been in nuclear reactors.  
However, the amount of plutonium found in the DU penetrators is 
very low and does not have any significant impact on their overall 
radioactivity.

"According to an assessment by the Swiss AC-Laboratory Spiez, 
these newest findings about the composition of the depleted 
uranium only lead to a minor change in the overall radiological 
situation and should therefore not cause any immediate alarm,? 
said UNEP Executive Director Klaus Toepfer. ?As we stated 
earlier*, UNEP?s recommendations on what steps should be taken 
next will be based on the full set of laboratory analyses, which are 
still ongoing, and will be presented in early March in the report on 
the environmental effects of DU in Kosovo."

Note to journalists: For more information, please contact UNEP 
Spokesperson Mr. Tore Brevik at +254-2-623292 or 
; UNEP Depleted Uranium Assessment Team 
Chairman, Mr. Pekka Haavisto at +358-40-588 4720 or 
; or UNEP Press Officer Mr. Michael 
Williams at +41-22-9178242, +41-79-409-1528 (cell) or 
. See also http://balkans.unep.ch 

* See press release of 25 January 2001 at balkans.unep.ch


UNEP News Release 01/24

For information only.  Not an official record.
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