I am interested in what people think about their use.

Personally, I believe it is a crime against humanity and were it not those in charge of prosecuting such things.. that being wealthy first world nations... who were using them they would have long ago been banned and in a far saner world those who had used them would be brought to justice.

As it stands... they are still being used.

supposedly the radiation they put out is negligible, the only way they're supposed to be dangerous is that the metal itself is toxic.

Originally posted by:kingshit

supposedly the radiation they put out is negligible, the only way they're supposed to be dangerous is that the metal itself is toxic.

Which is bullshit. You don't get a non-radioactive or even only slightly radioactive uranium. It is from what I have read about 60% as radioactive as unprocessed uranium. in fact the only way it is "depleted" is that one particular isotope.. the kind that can be used as nuclear fuel, etc.. has been taken out of it.

I'm not terribly concerned about the rounds themselves, but what must be the cumulative ecological impact of what likely amounts to tens of thousands of radioactive rounds fired per day in Iraq and Afghanistan for what will probably end up being a decade or more? Considering that most fighting takes place in cities the most populous area will also be the most contaminated--I imagine we will see in the coming decades a lot of Iraqi children developing leukemia and whatnot. Already they're saying the total amount of radiation contained in all the radioactive rounds used so far exceeds that of all the nuclear tests the United States ever performed, plus Hiroshima and Nagasaki combined. Obviously it's spread out over a much greater area, but still it has to be significant.

Originally posted by: i am skimble

I'm not terribly concerned about the rounds themselves, but what must be the cumulative ecological impact of what likely amounts to tens of thousands of radioactive rounds fired per day in Iraq and Afghanistan for what will probably end up being a decade or more? Considering that most fighting takes place in cities the most populous area will also be the most contaminated--I imagine we will see in the coming decades a lot of Iraqi children developing leukemia and whatnot. Already they're saying the total amount of radiation contained in all the radioactive rounds used so far exceeds that of all the nuclear tests the United States ever performed, plus Hiroshima and Nagasaki combined. Obviously it's spread out over a much greater area, but still it has to be significant.

This, plus the introduction and use of DIME weapons, which Israel is supposedly already using in Gaza.

I can't remember the source on this so I could be wrong but I was under the impression that deformities at birth have increased 600% since the war (or possibly the first gulf war. sorry, it was a long time ago), and that depleted uranium was suspected to be the cause (at least partially).

Not sure how true that is but if it is, it's completely fucked and obviously they should stop being used completely, or at LEAST in quite populated areas (nevermind cities).

Originally posted by:crunkmoose

Originally posted by:kingshit

supposedly the radiation they put out is negligible, the only way they're supposed to be dangerous is that the metal itself is toxic.

Which is bullshit. .

how do you know?

Originally posted by:Sharplimbed

I can't remember the source on this so I could be wrong but I was under the impression that deformities at birth have increased 600% since the war (or possibly the first gulf war. sorry, it was a long time ago), and that depleted uranium was suspected to be the cause (at least partially).

Not sure how true that is but if it is, it's completely fucked and obviously they should stop being used completely, or at LEAST in quite populated areas (nevermind cities).

It is pretty undeniably the cause. Uranium has about a 4 to 5 year gestation time in the human body before such birth defects will begin to appear. In one hospital they went from 11 such births one year to well over 200 the next year... the year that such a spike should be seen from the first gulf war's depleted uranium munitions use.

I can't imagine handling this ammunition could be good for OUR troops either.

Originally posted by:paradelights

Originally posted by:crunkmoose

Originally posted by:kingshit

supposedly the radiation they put out is negligible, the only way they're supposed to be dangerous is that the metal itself is toxic.

Which is bullshit. .

how do you know?

Uhm... because I actually bother to know something about science in general... and have long had a fascination with nuclear materials in particular. I actually bother to read and know a bit about the materials involved and what their properties are.

I lived relatively near Oak Ridge and lived very near to the Trinity site, Radium Springs, and somewhat near the defunct Carlsbad nuclear storage site and Los Alamos, and even knew a few folks who worked there over the summer because their parents worked there.

Again? I don't recall a first opinion here.

Originally posted by:LordLuvKnuckle

Originally posted by: yantastic

I can't imagine handling this ammunition could be good for OUR troops either.

Again. . . .what makes you think that our Government cares about the Soldiers they put into battle?

They are expendable. They don't even take good care of Veterans after they come back. Want proof?

Go take a trip to your Local VA Hospital and you will be in for a really sad situation.

So much profit is made from death and misery.

These were often used as anti-tank ammunition, as uranium is almost twice as dense as lead. The uranium would vaporize when the shell exploded filling tanks with fine uranium dust... which our soldiers when checking and cleaning out those tanks would be exposed to. It is considered to be weakly radioactive because it releases alpha particles, which are externally rather harmless and can even be stopped by a sheet of paper. When taken internally, however.. which is what happens with the uranium dust these munitions create, it becomes rather dangerous because these alpha particles are stopped inside the body and are thus irradiating the body for a long period of time.

This, Matt, is why I said it was bullshit. It is safe enough to handle... unless it becomes vaporized.

Originally posted by: crunkmoose

Originally posted by:paradelights

Originally posted by:crunkmoose

Originally posted by:kingshit

supposedly the radiation they put out is negligible, the only way they're supposed to be dangerous is that the metal itself is toxic.

Which is bullshit. .

how do you know?

Uhm... because I actually bother to know something about science in general... and have long had a fascination with nuclear materials in particular. I actually bother to read and know a bit about the materials involved and what their properties are.

I lived relatively near Oak Ridge and lived very near to the Trinity site, Radium Springs, and somewhat near the defunct Carlsbad nuclear storage site and Los Alamos, and even knew a few folks who worked there over the summer because their parents worked there.

Yeah well it's kind of irresponsible to act like living by ORNL makes you an authority. Hate to sound like a dick, but this kind of misinformation scares people who have family and friends in uniform.

The fact of the matter is that the real experts say that these materials are chemical hazards, and NOT radioactive hazards. For more information visit the Health Physics Society official statement and/or follow links to the UN or WHO websites:
click here for link

Originally posted by: i am skimble

I'm not terribly concerned about the rounds themselves, but what must be the cumulative ecological impact of what likely amounts to tens of thousands of radioactive rounds fired per day in Iraq and Afghanistan for what will probably end up being a decade or more? Considering that most fighting takes place in cities the most populous area will also be the most contaminated--I imagine we will see in the coming decades a lot of Iraqi children developing leukemia and whatnot. Already they're saying the total amount of radiation contained in all the radioactive rounds used so far exceeds that of all the nuclear tests the United States ever performed, plus Hiroshima and Nagasaki combined. Obviously it's spread out over a much greater area, but still it has to be significant.

I'm not so sure about comparing the detonation of two nuclear warheads to some bullets and armor made out of uranium makes sense... but then again, I've heard the internets are serious business.

to be honest, to morally or ethically question the use of DU in bombs and armor piercing rounds seems kind of stupid, when you think about what we're doing with the stuff anyways. would you feel better if we were blowing people's families up with delicious ice cream cake? at least then the orphans could have a tasty snack after they haul their parents mutilated corpses out of the cave.

Would these delicious ice cream cakes continue to irradiatr the surrounding land acting essentially like a radioactive landmine?

Originally posted by:squanto

Originally posted by: i am skimble

I'm not terribly concerned about the rounds themselves, but what must be the cumulative ecological impact of what likely amounts to tens of thousands of radioactive rounds fired per day in Iraq and Afghanistan for what will probably end up being a decade or more? Considering that most fighting takes place in cities the most populous area will also be the most contaminated--I imagine we will see in the coming decades a lot of Iraqi children developing leukemia and whatnot. Already they're saying the total amount of radiation contained in all the radioactive rounds used so far exceeds that of all the nuclear tests the United States ever performed, plus Hiroshima and Nagasaki combined. Obviously it's spread out over a much greater area, but still it has to be significant.

I'm not so sure about comparing the detonation of two nuclear warheads to some bullets and armor made out of uranium makes sense... but then again, I've heard the internets are serious business.

It's not a reference to the detonation, just the cumulative amount of radioactive materials produced.