depleted uranium alert!?

Question

wondering if you can give me any more information on depleted uranium or if you can correct me if im wrong because i just started researching this yesterday and i found myself interested in it .. so this is what i have .. there are uranium 235 and 238 isotopes and with nuclear fission uranium 238 can be converted to plutonium? with plutonium u can create nuclear warheads .. children fall victim to depleted uranium due to teh fiery aftermath of nuclear bomb exposions?

Answer 1

This is actually a very contentions topic, and is the basis of the "Gulf War Syndrome" disease which many veterans of the Gulf War claim to have. The idea is that the DU penetrator rounds fired at Iraqi tanks etc. gave off uranium oxides and uranium dust upon impact. This material was then ingested by the soldiers giving a wide variety of medical problems.

The problem w/ DU is not it's radioactivity (which I believe is almost non existent) but rather the fact that it is a heavy metal, and has toxicities associated w/ it similar to those of other heavy metals like lead, chromium, and mercury. One poster mentioned that soldiers handling munitions are still healthy - he's right - but that doesn't prove DU is safe. There is minimal danger in handling the ammunition. The problem arises when DU is converted to either oxides or a very fine powder which can be ingested.

The US gov released a report saying there was no link between DU and Gulf War Syndrome. Hmmm. I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but clearly many soldiers were or still are sick, and there must be some reason for it.

Answer 2

While Plutonium comes from U-238, U-235 can also be used for a weapon. It isn't the 'depleted" uranium that is the problem since that material is going to be consumed in the "big bang". It is the intense radiation composed of, primarily, gamma rays, that kill, as well as the initial intense heat, light, and neutron burst from the device. There is fall out to be concerned with that is due to the effects of the nuclear energies created from the explosion. There is also a massive wind created from the detonation of the explosion. To the best of my knowledge, there is ZERO uranium of any kind left over from a fission device explosion. I agree with a previous respondent, you do need to study up a bit more on the subject. The depleted uranium that we use for armor piercing munitions is derived from spent nuclear fuels. It is to weak to be used for fueling a reactor, but it's density makes it ideal as a penetrator.

Answer 3

I say use it. The radioactive content of a depleted uranium/tungsten round (such as that used by the M1A1, Challenger and Leapord Tanks, as well as the guns used on the A-10 Warthog and AH-64 Apache) is about the same (<1% radioactive material) as the iridium used to make the average wristwatch glow in the dark, as opposed to 5-6% for nuclear reactor fuel, or 8-10% for weapons grade material, there is no real risk of radiation poisoining to either those troops that use it, or (gasp at the thought!) to our enemies, although they have bigger problems than radiation to worry about. What makes the APDU (armor piercing, depleted uranium) round so effective, as used by the M1A1 Abrams is this. Uranium and tungsten are very dense materials, something like two or three times the density of steel. The M1A1 uses a 120mm smooth bore cannon. The round is actually a 40mm dart with an adapter collar that allows it to be fixed on the casing for a 120mm round. Once that round is fired, the collar falls away, and you have a ten pound or so projectile moving much faster than something that weight and size were ever meant to. So when it strikes a target, it uses sheer kinetic energy (as opposed to the chemical reaction of explosives) to punch through armor, something like a million pounds per square inch striking an area the diameter of a #2 pencil (about 1/4"). Why don't we put greenpeace downrange and let them test the radioactivity. BTW- Raw uranium (yellow cake) is actually comprised of <1% radioactive material. Only when it is refined does it become lethally radioactive. Nobody seems to worry about that though, do they?

Answer 4

Sounds like you need to do a lot more research. Depleted uranium is used in anti-tank weapons (like the chain gun on the A-10 "Warthog") and other projectiles. It has nothing to do with nuclear explosions.

Answer 5

Depleted Uranium has the U235 isotope removed. The remaining isotope U238 is not fissionable. However, U238 is a radioactive metal. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%22depleted_uranium%22

Answer 6

All I know is that Depleted Uranium maked for a damn good penetrator round that we fire from our tanks.