Posted on 08/08/2007 1:30:54 PM PDT by LeoWindhorse
Anti-depleted uranium activists have enlisted the assistance of all of Hawaii’s leftist alternative weeklies in a campaign against depleted uranium. The Hawaii Island Journal June 30 caries a front page cartoon skeleton in an aloha shirt and the headline “Radioactive us -- danger depleted uranium.” Articles on the alleged risks of depleted uranium appeared in quick succession in Honolulu Weekly, June 13, Maui Time, June 21, and Big Island Weekly, June 27 as well as the Journal.
Big Island Weekly points out that the latest anti-DU hype is based on observations in South Kona by an activist armed with a $399.00 “Gamma Scout,” Geiger counter. Allegedly the readings of “63 counts per minute” cited by Big Island Weekly indicate that “we might have a Gulf War in our backyards” and underlines “suspicion that DU is being used on Hawaii.”
As usual, the truth lies elsewhere.....
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1877987/posts
“63 counts per minute” ?..........In a volcanic area?.........
Depleted is a funny word. I wonder what it means?
All I know is that depleted Uranium in 23mm increments, comming at you at 2700 fps is not a good thing.
Depleted no longer means “Depleted”
Deplete \De*plete”\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Depleted; p. pr. &
vb. n. Depleting.] [From L. deplere to empty out; de- +
plere to fill. Forined like replete, complete. See Fill,
Full, a.]
1. (Med.) To empty or unload, as the vessels of human system,
by bloodletting or by medicine. —Copland.
[1913 Webster]
2. To reduce by destroying or consuming the vital powers of;
to exhaust, as a country of its strength or resources, a
treasury of money, etc. —Saturday Review.
[1913 Webster]
depleted \depleted\ adj.
1. no longer sufficient; as, our funds are depleted.
Syn: low.
[WordNet 1.5]
2. having resources completely depleted.
Syn: drained.
[WordNet 1.5]
WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]
depleted
adj 1: having resources completely depleted; “our depleted
resources”
2: no longer sufficient; “supplies are low”; “our funds are
depleted” [syn: low]
It seems to mean “propaganda”
Obviously it means “full of crap”............They must have had the probes stuck up someplace that’s dark and smells bad.......
>>Big Island Weekly points out that the latest anti-DU hype is based on observations in South Kona by an activist armed with a $399.00 “Gamma Scout,” Geiger counter. Allegedly the readings of “63 counts per minute” cited by Big Island Weekly indicate that “we might have a Gulf War in our backyards” and underlines “suspicion that DU is being used on Hawaii.”<<
This is hype.
But, that said, DU is about a third as radioactive as natural uranium and prone to corrosion so I would rather not have it around me.
BTW, I’m sure there is DU in South Korea - since the Soviets starting using it in 70’s most nuclear power use it either for armor or kinetic penetrators.
I wonder if these folks know that there is radiation all around us 24-7?..........Lead is just another form of “depleted” uranium.........
Typical; you could probably sell the pregnant women there an antiabortion pill and they’d all rush out to buy it.
the heavy-metal itself is plenty toxic, without considering radioactivity or “depletion”
Is there an MSDS sheet for it?
63 CPM! LOL! We’re all doomed.
My Ludlum 3-90 is showing about that much at my deak.
1 mCi Co-60 is 37,000,000 decays per second. That amount at 1 meter away gives an exposure of 1 mR/hour.
They get more “radiation” from their microwaves than from DU...........
ALARA
As Looney As Readily Achieveable.
http://www.soest.hawaii.edu/GG/ASK/radon.html ::
Subject: Radon gas in Hawaii
Is radon gas a problem in Hawaii, particularly on the big island? What causes radon gas to occur?
In answer to your questions about radon gas, “no”, it is generally not a problem for most of Hawaii. I suppose the best way to explain this is to first explain where radon gas (abbreviated as “Rn”) comes from and how it can accumulate to hazardous levels in some areas.
Rn is a radioactive gas produced by the decay of uranium. Uranium (U) occurs naturally in most rocks and natural waters, and it is the isotope 238U that decays through a series of daughter elements to Rn. The half-life of Rn is only about 3.5 days, so for it to remain at high levels in a natural system, it must be continually produced from its immediate parent isotope, 226Ra (the latter of which is also a daughter of 238U). Radon itself decays to make another radioactive isotope of the element Polonium which in turn feeds a chain of six main additional radioactive isotopes before the radioactivity stops at stable lead (Pb) 206. The longest-lived intermediate daughter isotope of Rn is 210Pb, which has a 22 yr half-life.
(exerpt)
the activist is taking reading while standing next to their
smoke alarm
Well, hell, the "mainstream" newspapers here are truly liberal fringe already: Honolulu Advertiser and Star Bulletin. No need to use the minor papers to get the wacko word out.
It means that most of the U235 has been removed from it. Natural uranium is a mixture of about 99.3% U238 and 0.7% U235. Enriched uranium with higher proportions of U235 is used for reactor fuel or nuclear weapons. The depleted uranium is almost all U238 which has a half life of 4.5 billion years. Since radioactivity is inversely proportional to half-life, depleted uranium is not very radioactive at all, and it can't be used to make fuel for conventional nuclear reactors. It's the daughter products of U238 decay that can be a problem.
Depleted uranium a really good material for making armor due to its density which is about double that of lead. It also is an excellent material for making armor penetrating rounds due to both its density and the fact that it is self sharpening as it penetrates.
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