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The Danger Of Depleted Uranium In Weapons
excerpts from an article from BenFrank.net
1. When depleted uranium weapons hit a target, a fine aerosol of uranium oxides is formed. The majority of particles are less than 10 microns.
2. The dust-like particles are easily inhaled into the lungs.
3. These fine particles can be spread by the wind and are readily re-suspended by modest breezes or vehicle and personnel movements. There is no existing study measuring the distance traveled by such particles. However, there is a documented instance were particles were physically captured 42 km from a test site.
4. This only proves migration beyond the specific site but does not preclude the possibility that particles can travel a great many times more kilometers. Fluid dynamic studies report that particles fewer than 5 microns can remain almost permanently suspended in the atmosphere.
5. While some of the DU is soluble, the majority is insoluble and remains in the body for years. Once in the body, DU slowly spreads from the lungs, mainly into the lymph nodes and bone. Excretion from the body is very slow.
6. The uncontrolled use and spread of uranium goes against the scientifically established conventions for handling radioactive substances and contravenes international laws. See the case made by Karen Parker at the UN that DU weaponry is illegal under existing human rights and humanitarian law.
7. It is estimated that 300 to 800 metric tons of DU were deposited in the battlefield in Iraq and Kuwait in 1991. Dr. Doug Rokke, DU expert and former US army physicist, estimated that 120 to 480 million grams of DU would be aerosolized if 40% of the DU were burnt up.
8. These airborne and respirable sized particles will be radioactive for billions of years.
You have been reading excerpts from "The danger posed by DU in Weapons" from BenFrank.net. You can read the entire piece here: tinyurl.com/cbkv8.
excerpts from an article from BenFrank.net
1. When depleted uranium weapons hit a target, a fine aerosol of uranium oxides is formed. The majority of particles are less than 10 microns.
2. The dust-like particles are easily inhaled into the lungs.
3. These fine particles can be spread by the wind and are readily re-suspended by modest breezes or vehicle and personnel movements. There is no existing study measuring the distance traveled by such particles. However, there is a documented instance were particles were physically captured 42 km from a test site.
4. This only proves migration beyond the specific site but does not preclude the possibility that particles can travel a great many times more kilometers. Fluid dynamic studies report that particles fewer than 5 microns can remain almost permanently suspended in the atmosphere.
5. While some of the DU is soluble, the majority is insoluble and remains in the body for years. Once in the body, DU slowly spreads from the lungs, mainly into the lymph nodes and bone. Excretion from the body is very slow.
6. The uncontrolled use and spread of uranium goes against the scientifically established conventions for handling radioactive substances and contravenes international laws. See the case made by Karen Parker at the UN that DU weaponry is illegal under existing human rights and humanitarian law.
7. It is estimated that 300 to 800 metric tons of DU were deposited in the battlefield in Iraq and Kuwait in 1991. Dr. Doug Rokke, DU expert and former US army physicist, estimated that 120 to 480 million grams of DU would be aerosolized if 40% of the DU were burnt up.
8. These airborne and respirable sized particles will be radioactive for billions of years.
You have been reading excerpts from "The danger posed by DU in Weapons" from BenFrank.net. You can read the entire piece here: tinyurl.com/cbkv8.
