Depleted Uranium
by ChrisNovember 30th, 2004 9:30 pm
The flash animation, regarding the use of depleted uranium shells, that has been making the rounds today is more than a little disturbing. Being a bit of a skeptic about nearly everything, I would like to see more documentation with regards to where those figures and percentages come from. Nevertheless, the use of depleted uranium, or any other radioactive material, without a very thorough understanding of its effect on human life, is disgusting. We are littering Iraq’s cities, towns and countryside, for the second time, with tons upon tons of depleted uranium with little regard for its long or short-term consequences. Those consequences will, more than likely, be felt, in the most brutal of ways, by all sides, innocent or otherwise.
December 1st, 2004 at 8:20 pm
You are wise to be skeptical!
The fact that it is “depleted” uranium means that the radioactive properties that make uranium deadly have been removed. So the claim of the radioactivity leading to these deformities is false and stupid because it doesn’t address the issue of the metal’s actual danger.
Depleted uranium is used because its properties are similar to but denser than lead. Besides its use as ordinance it is also used in the counter weight systems of aircraft and in some of the protective garments placed upon you when you get X-rays at the hospital.
The concern is more of what about the DU levels in water or food after shelling is actually similar to lead poisoning in a community.
If these people actually want to do direct research they can do so easily by looking at the levels in the local areas after plane crashes since this is more than likely the worse case scenario because the heat from the jet fuels will more than likely take the DU in the crafts past their ignition point of 600°C and dispersing it in a partical form similar to areas in a war zone.
December 2nd, 2004 at 12:06 am
Thanks for writing such an insightful comment to my, less than insightful, post. I try not to write posts when I’m overly emotional, but not particularly well informed, about a given subject. Sometimes, as in this case, I fail.
That said, having learned a little more since yesterday, I am still quite troubled by the use of this type of munitions and its potentially awful consequences, especially, as you point out, with regards to water and food supply. I’ll do my best to write a more rational and better-researched post on DU in the very near future.
Thanks again for your comment.
December 2nd, 2004 at 9:41 pm
Thanks for the compliment.
You might find this info sheet from the World Health Organization informative on the problems from DU.