Tungsten alloys, being used in battlefield munitions to make
them less toxic may cause cancer in soldiers wounded by them,
U.S. Army researchers said. Researchers at the Forces
Radiobiology Research Institute implanted pellets of the
tungsten alloys in rats to simulate shrapnel wounds from the
weapons. Some rats received high-dose pellets, some low-dose
and some pellets of other material for controlled comparison.
All of the rats implanted with tungsten developed extremely
aggressive tumors surrounding the pellets. Though the tumors
in the low-dose individuals grew more slowly, all of the tumors
spread rapidly to the lungs of the rats, requiring researchers
to euthanize the animals well before the anticipated end of the
study. "(The findings raise) extremely serious concerns over
the potential health effects of tungsten-alloy-based munitions
currently being used as non-toxic alternatives to lead and
depleted uranium," the researchers said. "If the findings ...
are validated by further research, it appears that soldiers
could be at risk of surviving battlefield wounds only to develop
an aggressive form of cancer," said Dr. Jim Burkhart, science
editor for the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, which
published the research.