Research Interests

My interests have recently shifted to searching the scientific literature for the toxic effects of uranium.  This interest arose from following the work of peace activists who have been trying to have depleted uranium banned from military munitions.  The research began from a passing curiosity, but as I learned more about the toxic effects of uranium, my conscience has led me to continue with this research and to try to inform others of not only the health consequences of depleted uranium munitions, but of the cover up by the U.S. military and U.S. government regarding these health effects on U.S. citizens, as well as the effects on innocent citizens in the lands that we attack.

My laboratory research interests have been quite broad and varied. They are concerned primarily with two areas: oxy radical reactions with molecules of biological significance and biomedical analysis. It turns out that uranium is both a radioligical toxin as well as a chemical toxin.  The toxic effects of this metal are mediated, in many cases, through free radicals generated by both the radioactivity and by the chemical properties of uranium ions in solution.

The earlier work on oxygen radical reactions yielded papers on free radical mediated production of benzene (a supposed carcinogen, although most studies failed to show it to be carcinogenic) from benzoic acid (a common food preservative that is usually added as the sodium salt, sodium benzoate) [L. Gardner and G.D. Lawrence in Publications] and free radical mediated production of benzaldehyde (a common flavoring agent for foods) from the artificial sweetener, aspartame [G.D. Lawrence and D. Yuan in Publications]. The work on products of aspartame attack by oxy radicals was terminated after an extraordinary review of a manuscript submitted for publication was rejected. It was felt that it would be more productive to abandon the project than to attempt to battle the powers that be (i.e., industry). That paper identified products that may be potentially toxic, especially to the nervous system.

Work in the area of biomedical analysis centered around development of improved methods for analysis of drugs in biological fluids or in complex dosage forms. The development of an improved method for atropine analysis [G. Lehr, S. Yuan and G.D. Lawrence in Publications] proved beneficial to the FDA when it was called upon to analyze stockpiled autoinjectors that were being distributed as antidotes for chemical warfare agents that were suspected of being in the Iraqi arsenal in the 1991 Gulf War.  There was never any evidence that neurotoxins were deliberately used by Iraq in that war, although the U.S. military bombed a site that is believed to have contained chemical warfare agents.

A major goal of these research projects has been to train students in performing research as well as learning modern and useful analytical techniques.
 

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