In military applications, white phosphorus (WP) is used in ammunition, in incendiary devices, for signalling purposes, and for generating smoke screens. It functions, therefore, in both an offensive and a defensive capacity. If you are referring to environmental contamination leading to civilian illness and/or death, I do not believe this has been investigated or will ever be investigated, unless very large amounts remain in the soil in combat areas and become a source of toxins in the future. However, WP as used in military applications burns when it contacts oxygen and is invariably fully consumed unless something interferes with the combustion process. This occurs only rarely, except for medical intervention when burning WP contacts human skin / flesh. It is highly probable that WP has caused civilian deaths, since it is used in munitions. A certain percentage of all military operations result in civilian deaths. These are, unfortunately, unavoidable, even when the civilian population is not targeted directly. It is probably safe to assume that some civilians died from injuries sustained by devices that employed WP. This would most likely have taken the form of fatalities from gunshot wounds or from severe burns from incendiary devices. WP can produce severe second and third degree burns. WP is widely used in industry. It is an ingredient in fertilizers. It is used in the production of steel and certain other metals. Have you ever purchased the cleaner TSP - a.k.a. tri-sodium phosphate? It does have some adverse health effects and can be toxic to humans in large enough quantities. But then, so can many things. WP can be used in the manufacture of crystal meth, in which form it routinely kills. Ultimately, this is all speculation, because the number of civilian and military fatalities in Iraq that were directly attributable to WP probably cannot be ascertained. I think, however, that many more civilians died from other causes. And continue to die from other causes. ---------------------------------------- Edit... In retrospect, I believe this question has been asked because of recent evidence that US forces employed WP weapons during the November 2004 attacks on Fallujah. A significant number of rebels and civilians died during this offensive. The US has claimed that WP devices had only been used for illumination purposes (i.e., flares). The controversy arises because of the classification of WP devices, as they are considered chemical weapons if they are employed against civilian populations. The US military is on record as describing such devices as "phosphorus chemical weapons" when they were used against Kurdish rebels and civilians in an attack by the Iraqi government in 1991. The use of these devices in Fallujah had not previously been reported. The response by the Bush administration has been to deny or downplay their use. This has damaged the credibility of both the Bush administration and the US position in Iraq Internationally and domestically. It is hard to take a high moral stance when you use the low road to get there.