After the recent scandal about depleted uranium in which my father was involved with, I wish to clear up some myths about the stuff. America is using horrible illegal weapons (such as white phosporous and cluster bombs) in Iraq, no doubt, but depleted uranium is not one of these.
Myth one: DU is dangerously radioactive
Loads of people claim that depleted uranium is very radioactive. This is not true. Whilst normal uranium is dangerous, depleted uranium is certainly not dangerous. It can be held in the hand for a long period of time without causing any damage, and if eaten it passes through the digestive system normally.
Myth two: Depleted uranium is highly genotoxic
This is not true. Whilst depleted uranium is genotoxic, so is the lead that normal bullets are made from. Lead is actually more genotoxic than depleted uranium.
Myth three: the World health organisation deliberately left facts about the genotoxicity of depleted uranium out of its report on the substance
This is a lie. I have seen the report myself, and it mentions the genotoxic characteristics of depleted uranium twice, saying that it 'should be investigated further' in the recommendations section of the report. The guy who posted this news is either too lazy to read or a liar.
The mere mention of the word uranium conveys a message of fear, sinister plots, evil etc. It is because of the limited knowledge the general populace has of physics that the media can cause unneccessary havoc.
Depleted uranium is harmless. In fact nearly all of the isotopes of Uranium are harmless. Uranium was first identified in the late 1700s its original primary use was to make yellow colored glassware. Later it was found that it helps strengthen steel. Most steel used today does contain uranium. Uranium is a fairly common element and is found world wide.
It is at great expense and difficulty that the fissionable (bomb stuff) can be seperated and made dangerous.
Depleted uranium is not radioactive. Like fishman said it is much less toxic than the accepted lead bullets.
It is radioactive, but the isotopes of which it consists emit mostly alpha and beta particles which are not a health risk unless the depleted uranium is ingested. Levels of the much more dangerous gamma radiation (it is the isotopes that emit a lot more which are removed, hence 'depleted') aren't much higher than normal background levels.
Depleted uranium shells are used, primarily against tanks, simply because they are heavy - heavier than any alternative, and hence having more penetrating power and more effectiveness.
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.
Yeh, I know. I love telling people that light is radiation.
Granite produces radon, thats just scary! :X
But the point is, it is still radioactive.
-The original source of radon-222 is from the natural radioactive decay of uranium-238 and radium-226 (uranium‡radium‡radon), which are commonly occurring elements in the crust of the earth.
-Certain soils and rocks that contain high levels of uranium also store natural deposits of radon:
a.) granite
b.) phosphate
c.) shale
d.) pitchblende
If a person lives in a granite house they live surrounded by depleted Uranium and active U-238 along with Radon. Here in the US the older Buildings in the New England area were built with Granite wall basements and now the Radon build up in them is hazardous.
the point being it is going to be difficult to find any metal that is not radioactive to seem degree and depleted uranium is one of the safer metals as far as radiation is concerned.
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Depleted Uranium: myths
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