What will we do about the 2000 tons of depleted uranium scattered across Iraq?

Question

I just heard an interesting speech made by a Mr. Doug Rokke, Vietnam and Gulf war 1 veteran and the U.S. Armies expert on depleted uranium munitions. What he says he's dealing with and has dealt with is atrocious. If you go to this site you can download the Mp3 of his speech, and two other experts in the field. (Theres a transcript on this page, but its very poorly transcribed.) http://www.mindfully.org/Nucs/2003/Rokke-Depleted-Uranium-DU21apr03.htm
Please, read or listen to this information and give me your opinion here. It's mostly about the gulf war, but he connects at areas to the current one. Would you find this believeable and a just assessment of whats happened and is happening? Also, theres another website thats rather anti-military (I don't condone anti-us-militarism) but has some rather disturbing images where children have been affected by the depleted uranium we have left all over the cities and villages of Iraq. http://www.mindfully.org/Nucs/2003/DU-Baby2003.htm

Look at the second page at your own risk, its pretty gruesome. Please, leave a response to any and all of this information. I am very interested to see what people think of this.

sgreger1, you obviously need to do a little studying, because you have absolutely NO idea what you're talking about. The munition is safe, until it is fired. Then it incindiates in mid air and most of it splatters all over the place. It is then, that you shouldn't imagine sleeping with it under your pillow. Or anywhere near 50 meters of it. For a long time. Please listen to or read the information on the page before posting, everyone. If you don't want to, then please don't respond to this question.

Answer 1

People get hyper when they hear "uranium" because they immediately think radioactivity, bombs, etc. Depleted uranium is very different from the uranium used in reactors or bombs. The major health concerns about DU relate to its chemical properties as a heavy metal rather than to its radioactivity, which is very low. Dr. Rokke repeatedly imiplies in the speech that you reference that DU is radioactive.

No respectable scientist will say that DU has any threat of radioactivity. Depleted uranium gives off alpha particles, which any high school physics student can tell you can be stopped by clothing.

Even the World Health Organization (WHO) (a very liberal body certainly not controlled by US interests) (see link below) notes that risks due to depleted uranium in combat zones is very negligible.

The major health concerns about DU relate to its chemical properties as a heavy metal rather than to its radioactivity, which is very low. Therefore, if you are campaigning against the use of DU, you should also be working to outlaw lead and other heavy metals, which are have equivalent toxicity to DU. But heavy metals are safely used in all kinds of civil applications every day, and they don't have fearmongering websites and anti-military speakers for advocates.

Answer 2

From what I have learned about 5-7% of the depleted uranium in a round is vaporized and becomes dangerous when it hits a target. This is the basis for the problems with radiation. The depleted uranium round is stable and not a problem. I think the rounds are hazardous but not long after they are fired.

Most countries use Tungsten core rounds because they are cheaper. There is not a big dropoff in performance and I think we should change over. As far as the spent ammunition goes, I think it is impossible to clean up. Even though depleted uranium is not radioactive I am sure there will be some instances of ground water contamination. Too late now, no way to find it all. Stop using uranium and don't do it again.

Added:
Okay, I have been studying Depleted Uranium and Tungsten. Tungsten is more toxic, I was wrong there. According to websites there are health risks associated with DU and that cannot be contested. The risks are more from the toxicity levels of the DU, which is only 60% as radioactive as uranium. FAS does list the fact that there is a very specific danger to vehicle crews exposed to DU rounds because of the exposure. For me then, the jury is still out.

Answer 3

Can we please dispell this conspiracy that DU is somehow a bigger threat than any other substance.

Everything is radioactive, DU is created from uranium that is done being used, hence the name depleted. You could sleep with it under your pillow and suffer no side effects other than a cramped neck, however it is when you infale the dust that its bad for you. This goe sthe same for lead and many many other metals which are widely used in Iraq, why do you stick to just this one and what do you suppose we use instead? The stuff is thick as hell and does damage, what should we use plastic??? OMG BUT NOO THAT MEANS MORE GLOBAL WARMING.

Next thing youll be asking us to use plastic bullets and plastic flak jackets and then force us to pick up the shells so we can recycle them.

Answer 4

Depleted Uranium is harmless..It is used in Armor as well as projectiles...The biggest danger of a DU round, is being hit by it..at that point the composition means nothing,,,,

Answer 5

It's harmless, that's why it's called depleted.

It'd be nice if you were as worried about the enriched uranium they're making next door in Iran. That stuff has the potential to ruin your day.

Answer 6

Pay Halliburton $100 billion to clean it up. They'll bring it back here and dump it in Lake Ontario when no one is looking.