Army's "Green" ammo also causes cancer.
In the 1990's the U.S. Army introduced a new set of " green " training ammunition designed to be less toxic and more environmentally friendly than the lead-filled rounds used before. But these new bullets may have left firing ranges contaminated and exposed soldiers to a new health hazard. Soon-to-be-released research suggests that a key element in the new ammo, once thought to be safe, may in fact be carcinogenic. The Army has stopped production of the bullets. More than 90 million rounds of the "green" training ammunition has been used in the United States, since its introduction. It relies on a blend of tungsten and nylon, or tungsten and tin. That gives the bullets the same density and firing properties as the original, but without using lead. Tungsten was considered non-toxic. And it was thought to be "non-mobile," unlikely to dissolve and travel, so it wouldn't get into the groundwater. But new research by University of Arizona Research Pr