Why does the U.S. military use depleted uranium (DU) weapons?  Isn't this a health risk to the soldiers?
611768
MC Hummer is a dolt, WMD would infer the DU rounds caused nuclear explosions... \n\nUnexploded DU rounds don't cause illness.  Messing around vehicles that have been destroyed by a DU round does cause illness...\n\nMc Dolt, nice photo's you scum bag, did you write the BS story all by yourself?  I'm retired Army been to Iraq three times and Bosnia and Kosovo both twice.  Seen plenty of destroyed vehicles courtsey of USAF DU rounds and I don't have cancer and neither do my children...  \n\nYou're a typical stuck on stupid liberal.  What part of an unexploded DU round poses no harm is hard for you to understand.  DU rounds are only dangerous after they have hit their target and irradiate the adjacent ground, dirt and dust.  Unfortunately much like yourself, the military has dolts that would approach destroyed vehicles and kick up and breath the irradiated dust.  Too bad you're an ignorant coward and rather run you yap than defend your country....\n\nAs for your links, pure BS...
346881
Around 20 to 30 pounds, based upon my understanding of declassified nuclear weapons design.\n\nLet's use an implosion design, not a gun design, as implosion is smaller.\n\nSo, use about a pound or two of uranium, about 10 pounds of high explosive, about 10 pounds of shielding & guts, and there you are!\n\nA suitcase nuke (yield of about 50kt) would fit into a small suitcase. It has been documented that the Soviets kept one in their embassy in DC for detonitation in case of a nuclear WWIII.
733975
Basically, the principal type of dirty bomb, or Radiological Dispersal Device (RDD), combines a conventional explosive, such as dynamite, with radioactive material. In most instances, the conventional explosive itself would have more immediate lethality than the radioactive material. At the levels created by most probable sources, not enough radiation would be present in a dirty bomb to kill people or cause severe illness. For example, most radioactive material employed in hospitals for diagnosis or treatment of cancer is sufficiently benign that about 100,000 patients a day are released with this material in their bodies. \nA dirty bomb is in no way similar to a nuclear weapon. The presumed purpose of its use would be therefore not as a Weapon of Mass Destruction but rather as a Weapon of Mass Disruption. \n\n\nHEU is Highly Enriched Uranium. Enriched uranium is a critical component for both civil nuclear power generation and military nuclear weapons. The International Atomic Energy Agency attempts to monitor and control enriched uranium supplies and processes in its efforts to ensure nuclear power generation safety and curb nuclear weapons proliferation. \n\nI have no idea how to neutralize it, but perhaps those sites will help you out.
948889
ther is enough depleted uranium to make a cockroach nervous there
448966
Depleted Uranium, or U-238, has a half life of 4.5 billion years before decaying to Thorium.
27391
I can't imagine why a consumer would use Uranium 234, but the primary health risk of working around uranium mines is likely to be lung cancer. Consumers may indirectly use uranium by consuming electric power generated by nuclear power plants, but direct exposure to U234 is limited to miners and a few industrial uses.  \n\nU 234 is the third most common isotope of Uranium, has a half-life of 245,000 years and decays to Thorium 230. Thorium is equally hazardous to health, and decays giving off radon (a hazardous gas), till it becomes lead (Pb). I quote from Wikipedia: "All isotopes and compounds of uranium are toxic, teratogenic, and radioactive. Toxicity can be lethal. In less than lethal doses toxicity is limited primarily to recoverable kidney damage. Radiological effects are systemic. Uranium compounds in general are poorly absorbed by the lining in the lungs and may remain a radiological hazard indefinitely. Uranyl (UO2+) ions, such as from uranium trioxide or uranyl nitrate and other hexavalent uranium compounds will cause birth defects and immune system damage if ingested or inhaled." Uranium 234 is classed as a VERY HIGH HAZARD due to its radioactive properties. \n\nEnvironmental concerns of using Uranium are generally related to both mining of uranium ore and eventual disposal of radioactive wastes. Both have the potential to contaminate ground water and cause cancer, birth defects, and death in those exposed to radioactive elements. Mining inevitably involves mine tailings which contain some uranium being exposed on the earth surface, and radioactive waste from the use of uranium remains hazardous for hundreds of thousands of years, thus the controversy over proposed radioactive waste disposal at sites such as Yucca Mountain in Nevada.
453187
If you are really interested in this topic, I recommend reading "The Plutonium Files," a recently published book. It reports on the negative health effects of uranium and plutonium, specifically the results of secret tests performed on civilian citizens and members of the military, by our government. (Almost all of whom were unaware they had unwittingly become guinea pigs.) Very interesting and informative.
72253
While this may not be an official answer it is at least my opinion.  First the U.S. is the only country to ever use nukes in a war.  We dropped two bombs on Japan in August of 1945.  As the first Nation to develope this kind of weapon we have also been the only Nation to ever use it against another.  It is certainly safe to say that we did not know the full ramifications of it's use at the time we used it, this weapon has long lasting effects that were never dreamed of when first used.  When the Solviets obtained nukes both sides built up arsenals to equal each others, by the 60's it was realized that we could not continue to test nukes above ground as we were destroying the land with radiation and doing God know what to our atmosphere. (Green House Effect?, Cancer causing levels of radiation? etc.)  It was felt by both sides at the time that we needed to balance the power by creating equal arsenals of nukes.  We still maintain a certain level of these weapons in order to keep balance and maintain our stregnth.  Today countries that have little respect for the World Community are developing these powers and this needs to be controlled.  The United Nations states that this must be controlled.  Countries that have in their recent history had governments that have been toppeled by revolution or likely to have a Coup are not stable enough countries to have this kind of power.  We in the United States know that we will not be the first to strike with our nukes, however our arsenal is still there to protect us if need be.  If there is anything that the World Community should have learned in recent years it is that the United States has the military weapons to do just about anything we please and with precision.  The main objection of the U.S. to having more countries develope these weapons is the likelyhood of them being sold to a terrorist group or another third party that has less responsibility and accountablity for their actions.
924996
There are thousands of toxic items used in industry, agriculture, water treatment, etc that can be used as terrorist weapons. However Po-210 is very toxic.  It is readily soluble in dilute acids and disperses throughout the body.  It is 5000 times as radioactive as radium.  It emits alpha particles, which means that inside a sealed container or capsule it's virtually harmless, but in proximity to bone marrow, hair follicles, lung, liver, and kidney tissue (plus other tissues) it can deliver a high dose of radiation.  It is made in nuclear reactors by bismuth-209 absorbing a neutron to become bismuth-210, which emits a beta particle (same charge and size as an electron) to become polonium-210.  Which leads one to speculate that, if Mr. Litvinenko was indeed intentionally poisoned with this substance, the perps must have had access to a nuclear reactor and/or waste products from one.   \n \n        An interesting medical trivia point:  smoking 2 packs per day gives one on the average 1300 millirems of radiation a year because of adherence of polonium (and other radioactive substances) to tobacco leaves.  This is roughly four times the average annual US radiation dose from natural background, including radon, that all of us receive.  Of course, there are areas of the world, e.g. some spots in Iran, where the dose from radon from hot springs is ten times higher than the dose from smoking!
893079
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uranium_in_the_environment
740643
why ,they will never use them ,this subject is stupid cant beleive everyone gets sucked into this shit.yes its scary a weirdo half way across the world has nuclear weapons ,the only reason there doing it is to use them as a bargaining chip for aid yet that wont happen .if they let one off in any country other than there own theyed be abliterated in a blink of an eye .dont get sucked in to all the crap they feed us in the media its just to scare the people into submission to give there rights away so the new world order can enslave us ,sounds crazy do the research .
767983
Health, and weapons.  Have you looked at Wikipedia.com?
639892
The U.S. has not used a nuclear weapon at all, be it civililian or militarily, since Japan and the end of WWII, a MUCH different time than today.  I have heard claims, however, of people that believe the U.S. has freely, and openly been using "tactical nukes" in the Middle East.  This is not true.  What a lot of people are mentioning is known as depleted uranium.  While it's not exactly the greatest stuff on Earth, it is far from what some believe it is to be--a type of nuclear weapon.  It's actually used in many civilian applications as well.\n\nhttp://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs257/en/\n\nAs far as the U.S. having weapons, it's known that we have decreased our arsenal, but at the same time, still have a large amount.  Is it possible that someone could get a hold of them?  Sure, I would suppose, but why bother the U.S. and the military that is surely guarding our stockpile when you could get it for a price just by asking in some parts of the world.  \n\nThe United States will forever maintain a nuclear arsenal for strategic purposes.  It is impossible to believe that if we took the lead and destryoed every one that we had, that the rest of the world would follow suit.  We'd be left unprotected, and the threat of Mutually Assured Destruction--one of the main reasons the Cold War went the way it did--would be eliminated, leaving us naked and extremely vulnerable.  We maintain them anymore as defense, though I truly believe that in this political climate, we will never see the day that the U.S. fires an offensive nuclear attack...I think defensive may even be a stretch.  \n\nThe reason that Iran cannot have nuclear weapons is simple.  They have made their intentions known, and I truly believe that it is simply a matter of time before they place one on top of a missile and fire one into Israel, and one into Iraq (to wipeout any remaining U.S. and coalition forces).  While some believe that Iran is bluffing, and claim that they do not have the technology, I'll leave the bluffing to the poker players, and take the threat of a nuclear weapon coming out of Iran in the near future as a very serious one.
496427
Not sure of the question but... uranium ore is mostly composed of the isotope U-238 which does not support self-sustaining fission reaction very well.  Enrichment is the process of extracting and purifying U-235 which is much more potent for use in weapons.\n\nWell, rockeytj - it's a physics question.  It's not like anyone's going to do it tonight with a blender and some toothpicks.  It takes zillions dollars worth of equipment, not to mention tons and tons of uranium ore.
451632
Uranium is a chemical element in the periodic table that has the symbol U and atomic number 92. Heavy, silvery-white, toxic, metallic, naturally radioactive, pyrophoric, and teratogenic, uranium belongs to the actinide series and its isotope 235U is used as the fuel for nuclear reactors and the explosive material for nuclear weapons. Depleted uranium is used in incendiary projectile weapons. Uranium is commonly found in very small amounts in rocks, soil, water, plants, and animals (including humans).
645706
uranium has been stolen  a while ago... there must be other precious elements or   just to steal oil. What else it can be....\n\n\n i d i o t s!!!
300559
One does not mine for depleted uranium. That is man made and is disposed of in guarded facilities. However, if you insist, you had best know it's qualities and make sure you are well protected with radiation gear.\n\n"Depleted uranium results from the enriching of natural uranium for use in nuclear reactors. Natural uranium is a slightly radioactive metal that is present in most rocks and soils as well as in many rivers and sea water. Natural uranium consists primarily of a mixture of two isotopes (forms) of uranium, Uranium-235 (U235) and Uranium-238 (U238), in the proportion of about 0.7 and 99.3 percent, respectively. Nuclear reactors require U235 to produce energy, therefore, the natural uranium has to be enriched to obtain the isotope U235 by removing a large part of the U238. Uranium-238 becomes DU, which is 0.7 times as radioactive as natural uranium. Since DU has a half-life of 4.5 billion years, there is very little decay of those DU materials."