Uranium is always being linked to WMD. I am not sure how it is used for WMD, but would like to know. Thanks.
2007-03-08 09:09:25 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics & Government ➔ Military
Most of the time on the media (as we have heard in reference to the nuclear programs of North Korea and Iran) we have been subjected to reports of uranium enrichment activities in some nations. Most people think that you can take any uranium and make a bomb. There are only a few types of uranium that can be made into weapons-grade urnium... determined by their mass. The three types would be U-233, U-235, and U-238. Nuclear materials such as plutonium and uranium are not safe to handle without some sort of protection (hence nuclear suits). Because they gain virility over time...it only becomes more pertinent to have protection when handling nuclear materials...even light weight nuclear materials, if sufficiently exposed can harm you.
Note: The first nuclear weapons were made with plutonium. (Pu-239, Pu-240)
How are nuclear materials dangerous? It is carcinogenic, causes leukemia, birth deformities in unborn children, breast cancer in lactating females, liver cancer, sperm deformities that can be passed down for generations in families exposed, and more when side effects from the aforementioned problemskick in. This can range from blood poisoning to early miscarriages to severe nausea.
2007-03-08 10:09:11 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 3⤋
Uranium is not very dangerous. It is safe to handle.
Ignore the people that say it will kill. Uranium is all over the planet and is in soil in many parts of Arizona.
Uranium cannot be used to make dirty bombs.
Iranian nuclear bombs being detonated by terrorists are dangerous.
2007-03-08 09:14:06 · answer #2 · answered by a bush family member 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Plutonium is dangerous and used in nuclear reactors and weapons. Uranium is radioactive, but when deplted of all radiation, it becomes harder than any substance known. Smart thing to build our bullets and tanks out of, but the uneducated still remember when it was used for reactors and weapons and think it will kill our troops, when in fact it saves our lives everytime a round is deflected.
2007-03-08 09:47:38 · answer #3 · answered by Mark W 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
'Enriched' uranium is used as fuel for nuclear reactors and 'weapons-grade' enriched uranium is used for nuclear weapons. The process of enriching uranium consists of increasing the concentration of U-238 and lowering the concentration of U-235.
Enriching uranium is expensive and requires huge industrial facilities.
And uranium is a very poor choice for 'dirty bombs' due to its low radioactivity.
2007-03-08 09:55:24 · answer #4 · answered by MikeGolf 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Radioactive elements are all dangerous, because they produce radiation as part of their chemical reactions (including nuclear bomb explosions). Being exposed to such radiations can result in cell damages on animals and humans. Radiation can also alter the normal development of a cell that will result in abnormal mutations of the cell. If a parent was exposed to radiation, its offspring will be born with physical deformities due to abnormal cell mutations during the fetus development. This is in addition to the parent's own cell damages that results in the development of cancerous cells.
Examples of radioactive elements are Uranium, Radium, Plutonium, and Polonium.
2007-03-08 10:03:47 · answer #5 · answered by roadwarrior 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Uranium is used in atomic bombs.
2007-03-08 22:04:31 · answer #6 · answered by Tropango 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Nuclear Warheads and radioactive dirty bombs.
2007-03-08 09:15:03 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋