Poison DUst
375 tons of depleted uranium used in first gulf war, now over 2200 tons since 2004, Iraq is a nuclear waste dump '8O'
If our soldiers ever get back from Iraq they will be the walking dead. I feel sorry for them.
PeakOil is You
Poison DUst Video
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Poison DUst Video
by KhanCEO » Thu 08 Mar 2007, 04:39:40
Well, I'm happy I didn't join the United States Army.
Poison DUst
375 tons of depleted uranium used in first gulf war, now over 2200 tons since 2004, Iraq is a nuclear waste dump '8O'
If our soldiers ever get back from Iraq they will be the walking dead. I feel sorry for them.
Poison DUst
375 tons of depleted uranium used in first gulf war, now over 2200 tons since 2004, Iraq is a nuclear waste dump '8O'
If our soldiers ever get back from Iraq they will be the walking dead. I feel sorry for them.
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Re: Poison DUst Video
by ChumpusRex2 » Thu 08 Mar 2007, 15:10:34
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('purcatty', 'u')mmmm... Uranium 238 (depleted uranium) is 1000 times more radiactive in alpha rays than uranium 235 (The stuff used for making bombs)
You mean 10 times *less* radioactive.
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', '
')It is also useless, amd expensive, and dificult to get rid of it, as radioactive waste is expensive.
So they make bullets out of it and give it away free to weopons manufacturers (how kind)
Depleted uranium is nasty when inhaled.
DU is not useless - it has numerous industrial uses (radiation shielding for nuclear workers, ballast in aircraft, etc.), in addition to its military uses.
It may be expensive, but clearly the military found that its effectiveness was worth the cost - as it is far better at armor penetrating than any other material.
DU is not classed as radioactive waste - it is less radioactive than natural uranium ore, and due to its very low radioactivity is does not need to be classed as a radioactive material under the law.
DU is harmful when inhaled - but there have been numerous independent studies into its harm potential. The conclusions have generally been that unless you are a passenger in a tank which suffers a direct hit by a DU projectile, you are unlikely to suffer a relevant exposure to DU. If you are such a passenger, then you'll probably be more concerned about inhaling the flying white hot metal and searing vapors.
The main issue with DU is its toxicity - which is similar to lead. Yet, people are quite happy to fire tens of thousands of tons of lead into the environment in their country and others. Even though, the sheer quantity of lead is such that the environmental effects are far greater.
If you want to have a discussion about this, please try and keep to the facts - not mindless speculation and conspiracy.
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Re: Poison DUst Video
by highlander » Thu 08 Mar 2007, 15:37:06
DU toxicity about the same as lead?
it's an Alpha emitter
google depleted uranium and birth defects
before you eat lunch
it's an Alpha emitter
google depleted uranium and birth defects
before you eat lunch
This is where everybody puts profound words written by another...or not so profound words written by themselves
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Re: Poison DUst Video
by ChumpusRex2 » Thu 08 Mar 2007, 16:36:32
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('highlander', 'D')U toxicity about the same as lead?
That's about right.
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'i')t's an Alpha emitter
Yes. However, it's the dose that makes the poison - and the dose of alpha particles emitted is very low. That's not to say that it's not harmful - but that the chemical toxicity is the clear problem - not the alpha particles.
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', '
')google depleted uranium and birth defects
before you eat lunch
I just did. There are a lot of poorly documented anecdotes suggesting a link, but no real hard evidence.
The toxicity of Uranium is well understood. Based on current knowledge, birth defects would only be expected if a mother were to ingest approximately 1 gram of soluble uranium compounds each day during her pregnancy. However, these studies are based on animal experiments and simulate unreasonably high exposures.
Human studies on radiation workers, suggest slight increase in miscarriages - but this data is far from conclusive and is thought to represent a chance result, rather than a genuine result. Human studies where the male has been exposed to uranium or radiation have *not* shown a link to birth defects in subsequent progeny.
The other problem is that birth defects are common. They become more common in war time - malnutrition, poverty, diseases due to poor hygeine and movement of populations are major contributors. Then there are additional known toxins - explosives, vehicle fuels, pesticides. Some of the most dangerous toxins are produced naturally where food/grain has been stored without adequate fungicide treatment.
Assessment of the status of DU needs more research. However, the majority of the claims made of its toxicity are implausible and not supported by what evidence we do have. Nevertheless, the phaseout of DU weapons is a welcome step - and effort should be made to remediate the pollution left behind.
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