The results did not reassure at least one of the soldiers.

Members of the 442nd Military Police Company, based in Orangeburg, N.Y., had complained of headaches, soreness and insomnia. A private test this month indicated that four of them had unhealthy levels of uranium in their urine.

Further tests by the military showed that depleted uranium exposure did not cause the ailments, the Pentagon said.

"Those people all had normal levels of uranium in their urine," said Dr. Michael Kilpatrick, deputy director of the Deployment Health Support Directorate.

Depleted uranium is the hard, heavy metal created as a byproduct of enriching uranium for nuclear reactor fuel or weapons material. It is about 40 percent less radioactive than natural uranium, Kilpatrick said.

The U.S. military uses the metal in rounds fired by M1 Abrams tanks and A-10 attack jets to penetrate tank armor - a practice that has been criticized for causing unnecessary risks to soldiers and civilians.

"As long as this is exterior to your body, you're not at any risk and the potential of internalizing it from the environment is extremely small," Kilpatrick said.

Most studies have indicated that depleted uranium exposure will not harm soldiers. But a 2002 study by Britain's Royal Society said soldiers who ingest or inhale enough depleted uranium could suffer kidney damage. The report cautioned its results were inconclusive and recommended a long-term study of soldiers exposed to the metal.

About 1,000 soldiers returning from Iraq have been tested for exposure to the metal. Of those, three showed unhealthy levels in urine samples. All three had fragments embedded in their bodies, Kilpatrick said.

Soldiers must choose to take a test for depleted uranium. All members of the 442nd will be able to take one if they ask, Kilpatrick said. Twenty-seven members of the unit have been tested so far.

One company member, Sgt. Ray Ramos, said the latest results did not reassure him. He has suffered from migraine headaches, breathing problems and pain in his elbows since returning from Iraq in September.

An earlier test suggested depleted uranium may have been partially responsible for his pain. He said he will pursue a third test from an independent doctor to compare the results.

"When I become ill, or possibly become ill later on, I want to have things in place," said Ramos, 41, of New York City.

The Pentagon is monitoring a group of 70 veterans from the first Gulf War who have pieces of depleted uranium embedded in their bodies. Kilpatrick said none of them has shown health problems related to depleted uranium.

Charles Sheehan-Miles, executive director of the Nuclear Policy Research Institute and a Gulf War veteran, said the military should test all soldiers returning from Iraq to determine whether fears about the metal are valid.

Sound Off...What do you think? Join the discussion.


Copyright 2004 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.