Did NATO attacks in Yugoslavia cause a detectable environmental effect in Hungary?
Because of the intensive NATO bombardment of the neighboring region to Hungary, i.e., Vojvodina, North Yugoslavia, air monitoring for detection of depleted uranium particles supposed to be used as a component of bullets was extended to the Southern region of the country. Alpha spectrometry was applied as a sensitive analytical technique able to detect uranium. Though no depleted uranium was detected in air by the sensitive technique of alpha-spectrometry, the increased uranium content in natural ratio as a component of normal soil, natural gas, etc., is suggested to originate from well dispersed dust (2.5 microm size) emitted to the atmosphere by explosions during bombing. This observation is supported by the geographical distribution and the relatively rapid decrease of pollution after the bomb attacks ceased.
Kerekes
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A
Frederic Joliot-Curie National Research Institute for Radiobiology and Radiohygiene, Budapest, Hungary. kerekes@hp.osski.hu
Capote-Cuellar
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A
Köteles
G J
GJ
D000388:Air / Q000032:analysis*; D000396:Air Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis*; D000512:Alpha Particles; D005843:Geography; D006801:Humans; D006814:Hungary; D011834:Radiation Monitoring; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014480:United Nations; D014501:Uranium / Q000032:analysis*; D014857:Warfare; D015022:Yugoslavia
D000396:Air Pollutants, Radioactive; D014501:Uranium