Depleted Uranium
- Depleted uranium is used for tank armor, armor-piercing bullets, and as weights to help balance aircrafts.
- Depleted uranium is both a toxic chemical and radiation health hazard when inside the body.
Depleted uranium (DU) is the material left after most of the highly radioactive form of uranium (U-235) is removed from the natural uranium ore. DU has several common uses.
About Depleted Uranium
Naturally occurring uranium ore is abundant in nature and contains several forms of uranium called isotopes. All uranium isotopes are radioactive; however, only one of these isotopes, Uranium-235 (U-235), provides the fuel used to produce both nuclear power and the powerful explosions used in nuclear weapons.
In the 1970s, the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) began making ammunition and weapons out of depleted uranium (DU) given its high density. DU was also used to create armor for tanks and as weights to balance aircrafts. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) was operating facilities that produced DU as a waste byproduct, making DU plentiful and inexpensive.
DU is still used to make ammunition and weapons. DU contamination of spent shells and shell fragments is a hazard at some military firing ranges.
In nature, U-235 only makes up a very small part of the uranium ore. Given its importance for nuclear power and nuclear weapons technology, U-235 is often removed from the natural uranium ore and concentrated through a process called uranium enrichment. Depleted uranium hexafluoride, also known as DU, is the material left behind after enrichment. Like the natural uranium ore, DU is radioactive. The most significant source of radiation from DU comes from alpha particles , Alpha particles don't have enough energy to go through skin. DU also emits some beta particles and gamma rays. Beta particles and gamma emissions from depleted uranium can cause external exposure to the body. However, the beta and gamma radiation levels from DU are too low to present a serious health hazard.
If DU is ingested or inhaled, it is a serious health hazard for two reasons. DU is toxic and can damage kidneys due to its chemical makeup. This is the most hazardous aspect of DU. However, if alpha particles from DU are inhaled or ingested, alpha particle radiation can also cause damage inside the body. It is important to remember, though, that DU is not often found in the air, except at industrial facilities where it is processed.
What you can do
Avoid facilities that use or process DU: DU is dangerous when it is inside your body.
Avoid internal exposure: If DU gets inside the body the hazards increase. Minimize your risk of internal exposure by limiting your proximity to uranium manufacturing plants and firing ranges that continue to use DU in ammunition.