SmokingSkillz Posted January 24, 2004 Posted January 24, 2004 Quote from DOD's website:Radiation - Because depleted uranium emits primarily alpha radiation, it is not considered a serious external radiation hazard. The depleted uranium in armor and rounds is covered, further reducing the radiation dose. When breathed or eaten, small amounts of depleted uranium are carried in the blood to body tissues and organs; much the same as the more radioactive natural uranium. Despite this, no radiological health effects are expected because the radioactivity of uranium and depleted uranium are so low. How much of this stuff would you be happy eating and why?
Radical Edward Posted January 24, 2004 Posted January 24, 2004 about as much as that article writer would. It is all just crap I reckon
YT2095 Posted January 24, 2004 Posted January 24, 2004 if you ignore just the radiation side of it, Uruanium is also Chemicaly toxic! that quote is utter crap, and said only to try and get out of having to pay massive law suits to the people whose families have been effected by its use.
SmokingSkillz Posted January 24, 2004 Author Posted January 24, 2004 Yep thought as much. They also claim to be backed up by the royal society! I have had problems finding out about quantities involved though. Does anyone feel that the extra density warrents it's use over tungsten? Or pehaphs there is a more sinister motive to it's use. I am also unaware of protection offered to US/UK troops in the "theatre" as they quaintly put it.
YT2095 Posted January 24, 2004 Posted January 24, 2004 Tungsten is expensive and too hard as a metal. Uranium has a much lower melting point than tungsten and weighs more than tungsten even more than lead. as it`s killing properties AFTER the event (long term), they would have you beleive not, I suspect otherwise however, or at the very least it`s an added Bonus that I don`t beleive was "overlooked".
SmokingSkillz Posted January 24, 2004 Author Posted January 24, 2004 it should be illegal... oops it is!
YT2095 Posted January 24, 2004 Posted January 24, 2004 Interestingly enough, with regards to that statement and from your 1`st post. there are long riffle rounds that use depleted uranium as a filler too, the shell casings are NOT marked, but the special clip used to hold them bears the Radiation warning!
wolfson Posted January 24, 2004 Posted January 24, 2004 How much of this stuff would you be happy eating and why? Well excluding its toxic effects, when just thinking of radiation affects, i would "eat" a resonable amount, remember this is just the radiation we are looking at, in Nuclear Medicine i.e. using radioactive drugs to compile a photographical image, usually in cases of obstruction, well basically i would "eat" as much as you are given in hospital, now as far as I know you are given radioactive material (unstable atoms), that is just as radioactive as depleted U.
YT2095 Posted January 24, 2004 Posted January 24, 2004 the stuff you get in hospitals has a half life of a few hours MAX, dpleted U is measured in Millenia. and considering that any alpha emmiter ingested will cause cancer if left in situ long enough, I wouldn`t like to take my chances with depleted U. especialy since it`s largly absorbed by inhallation as the shell fragments on impact
wolfson Posted January 24, 2004 Posted January 24, 2004 I would say that 95% or more (more I think) would be excreted after digestion (faeces). So the absorption rate would be rather low dont you think??? I think the main problem is when DU intake enters the systemic circulation, at that point i could see serious affects occuring.
YT2095 Posted January 24, 2004 Posted January 24, 2004 well in the case of medicinal use then yes, it is flushed from the system as well as decaying very rapidly on its own, in fact some of the isotopes aren`t as a solid, but a flask of gas that has to be inhaled and held for a time, then the room is locked down and the med staff evacuate imediately to a safe area and then do the scans. I know this 1`st hand did you know that even the Am241 slug in a smoke detector may cause localised cancers if placed against the skin long enough or ingested? depleted U is several orders of magnitude greater as an alpha emiter! I wouldn`t eat it!
Dave Posted January 24, 2004 Posted January 24, 2004 I'd be very worried myself if I ate some alpha emitting source. It causes massive ionization of the skin and can lead to all sorts of internal damage; I do believe Marie Curie died from some kind of radiation induced cancer from the Radium she carried around. They like to use things like Technecium 99m in hospitals for tracing (good old a-level physics) because it's got a short half-life (matter of hours) and it's not likely to damage many cells at all. So it's probably not the best idea to have depleted uranium on toast for tea.
wolfson Posted January 24, 2004 Posted January 24, 2004 depleted uranium on toast for tea. lol I like that
SmokingSkillz Posted January 24, 2004 Author Posted January 24, 2004 Geoff Hoon would eat it (unless he is a liar of course)
wolfson Posted January 24, 2004 Posted January 24, 2004 I think in there context they are true, but it would be good to see if he really would.
SmokingSkillz Posted January 24, 2004 Author Posted January 24, 2004 I know if my son was chucking it about i'd be concerned.
YT2095 Posted January 24, 2004 Posted January 24, 2004 I`ll Roger that as a big 10-4! despite the fact it`s damned heavy stuff too! LOL
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