TY - JOUR AU - Alaani, Samira AU - Tafash, Muhammed AU - Busby, Christopher AU - Hamdan, Malak AU - Blaurock-Busch, Eleonore PY - 2011 DA - 2011/09/02 TI - Uranium and other contaminants in hair from the parents of children with congenital anomalies in Fallujah, Iraq JO - Conflict and Health SP - 15 VL - 5 IS - 1 AB - Recent reports have drawn attention to increases in congenital birth anomalies and cancer in Fallujah Iraq blamed on teratogenic, genetic and genomic stress thought to result from depleted Uranium contamination following the battles in the town in 2004. Contamination of the parents of the children and of the environment by Uranium and other elements was investigated using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry. Hair samples from 25 fathers and mothers of children diagnosed with congenital anomalies were analysed for Uranium and 51 other elements. Mean ages of the parents was: fathers 29.6 (SD 6.2); mothers: 27.3 (SD 6.8). For a sub-group of 6 women, long locks of hair were analysed for Uranium along the length of the hair to obtain information about historic exposures. Samples of soil and water were also analysed and Uranium isotope ratios determined. SN - 1752-1505 UR - https://doi.org/10.1186/1752-1505-5-15 DO - 10.1186/1752-1505-5-15 ID - Alaani2011 ER -