[Robert Drobot]

Comment: As a reader of internet information resources offered by a variety of web sites for that specific purpose, I’m seriously concerned about the opposite conclusions reached by the government of Italy and the government of the United States about the use and residual effect of depleted uranium munitions used extensively in Yugoslavia, Bosnia, and Iraq, as well as the alleged safe use depleted uranium in the manufacturing of American consumer and hospital products.

Each of the stories in question were placed on the internet (coincidentally? ) October 19, 2004.

I’m presenting my concerns here in the hope that internet users may arrive at some measure of clarity regarding the use, and residual effects, of depleted uranium munitions, as well as its alleged safe use in the manufacturing of goods used in the civilian sector.

[Nateman]

Frankly I'm mad that something with the potential value of so much energy is being wasted on such trivial uses. If you expose U-238 to a neutron flux it will become Pu-239. This is great fuel for reactors. One kilogram is equivalent to about 22 million kilowatt hours of heat energy.We could be powering up cities and  yet thanks to a bunch of foolish environmentalists this vast energy resource is being wasted.

[PreciousLiberty]

Here's some information on depleted uranium exposure. You may find these paragraphs interesting:

Very little literature directly addresses DU's health effects. However, extensive material deals with the effects of natural uranium, which is relevant to assessing DU's effects. Chemically, DU has the same properties as natural uranium. Radiologically, DU emits types of radiation similar to natural uranium's, but DU is 40% less radioactive than natural uranium.

Uranium is all around us. A heavy metal similar to tungsten and lead, it occurs in soils in typical concentrations of a few parts per million (equivalent to about half a teaspoon of uranium in a typical 8-cubic yard dump truck-load of dirt). The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) estimates there are typically 4 tons of uranium in 1 square mile of soil 1 foot deep[13] and that we add 180 metric tons (about 198 US tons) of uranium decay products to US agricultural lands each year due to the trace amounts of uranium in phosphate fertilizer.[14] We all take in uranium every day from the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the foods we eat. On average, every day each of us takes in 1.9 micrograms (about two-millionths of a gram) of uranium from food and water and inhales a very small fraction (7 x 10-3 or 0.007) of a microgram.

Note that the uranium we're normally exposed to is 40% more radioactive than DU. It does seem to me that those who might be exposed should wear a breathing filter...in the U.S. army they would mainly be those who ventured near armored vehicles hit by American DU rounds.

Hope it was interesting...

[Wonder Warthog]

"I’m presenting my concerns here in the hope that internet users may arrive at some measure of clarity regarding the use, and residual effects, of depleted uranium munitions, as well as its alleged safe use in the manufacturing of goods used in the civilian sector."

The mysterious deleterious effects of depleted uranium are URBAN LEGEND, promulgated by anti-nuke eco-fanatics. The effects of uranium exposure are VERY well known, and do not include ANY of the symptoms supposedly exhibited by sufferers of the "Gulf War syndrome".

[Truth666]

"An inconsistency in the number total is apparent"
Where does that come from ? Three were no inconsistencies in the original press agency story

[punster]

The permissible body burden of U-238 (depleted uranium) is 0.04 microcuries, which is about 120 milligrams. The level that can be tolerated is probably about 10 times as much. These values are based on the study of the radium dial painters.

My opinion is, the chemical toxicity of depleted uranium does outweigh the radiological hazard.

The target organs for uranium are the kidneys and bone.

[TalonDJ]

Yeah and in Afghanistan many Taliban also died due to exposure to depleted uranium. From what I hear exposure usually causes people to disperse themselves over a large area.

[StoneFury]

I would much rather see enriched uranium being fired at our enemies.

[edchambers]

Anyone with a "Basic Training" understanding of ,Biological and Chemical warfare could tell you that the symptoms of Gulf War Veterans Syndrome are much more likely from exposure to biological and chemical weapons than anything else.