The VA has an on-going study of the effects of DU, and some information on it is here . It has been proven to have adverse effects if DU particles are inside the body, including both shrapnel and (in some cases) smoke from burning DU munitions. The number of people treated seems to be quite small, and I'd be interested in the source of the information that Over 500,000 veterans of the 1st Gulf war are receiving treatment for exposure to depleted uranium. Thats 70% of the armed forces who were deployed.