format_quote Originally Posted by
cheese
:sl:
^How is depleted Uranium not radioactive? :?
Keep in mind Uranium continuously decays into lower level isotopes. There are a number of different isotopes and it decays. The depleted Uranium consists of the decayed low level isotopes.
All of the elements above Atomic Number 88 are radioctive to some degree. All of them have various half lives that range from milliseconds to thousands of years. As the Radioactive elements decay most become lead.
Radiation is misunderstood. Not all radiation is dangerous. The most common radiation you see daily, we call it light.
Depleted uranium does not emit any dangerous radiation. You will get more radiation from a building made of Granite. Yes, the common building stone granite is radioactive. we are now finding that in closed spaces it can be dangerously radioactive and emit sufficient Radon to be a health hazard.
It is virtualy impossible for a person to be harmed by the radiation emited by depleted Uranium, unless a person were to eat the Uranium or inhale the smoke of burning uranium. Both of which would be deadly even if there was no radiation at all.