Depleted Uranium

Uranium (U) is a radioactive element found in small amounts throughout the natural environment. Natural uranium is a mixture of three different isotopes (238U, 235U and 234U), of which 238U has by far the highest concentration. Uranium is used primarily as fuel material in nuclear power plants. Most reactors require uranium in which the 235U content is enriched from its naturally occurring concentration. The uranium remaining after removal of the enriched fraction is referred to as depleted uranium (DU). DU is weakly radioactive and a radiation dose from it would be about 60% of that from purified natural uranium with the same mass. Mainly because of its very high density, it is used in armour penetrating military ordinance, and also in the manufacture of defensive armour plate. Military uses of DU have been reported in the Gulf and Balkan wars. Civilian applications apart from energy production include use as counterweight in airplanes and in radiation shielding.

WHO, together with other UN agencies, has been involved in the assessment of potential health effects of environmental DU in post-conflict areas and has developed comprehensive information material on DU. WHO is reviewing and updating this information as new knowledge emerges.



Source: http://www.who.int/ionizing_radiation/env/du/en/

i so rly dont care

Great input.

I think it should be stopped, and is ridiculous they haven't already.

This post was edited by MewKitten on Mar 6 2010 03:57am

Scientific basis?

Is this an opinion or an assessment?



I feel like it's nearly unrivaled density is to valuable to cast aside based on the so far abysmal studies done on it's health effects.

This post was edited by Serdra on Mar 6 2010 10:03am

lotta other energy sources.............................thermal energy...........

DU has to be inhaled to be dangerous (or possible inserted, like with shrapnel). But when a high speed projectile impacts something like a tank it pulverizes some of the round and then it can be breathed in. I'd imagine modeling how dangerous it is would be based on how much was released into the air after an impact, and how it dissipated. Very hard to model.

This post was edited by Azrad on Mar 9 2010 12:54am