Depleted UraniumUse and informations

Ondřej Novák D4 - 90

What is Depleted Uranium DU is a by-product left over when natural uranium ore is enriched

for use in nuclear reactors and nuclear weapons. It is a toxic, dense, hard metal.

During the enrichment process, most of the more radioactive isotopes contained in uranium are removed - leaving the 'left over' DU about 40% less radioactive than uranium.

DU does not add significantly to the normal background radiation that people encounter ever day. It is weakly radioactive. For example, DU is 3 million times less radioactive than radium still found in many old luminous watches and 10 million times less radioactive than what is used in fire detectors.

The extreme density of DU, together with other physical properties, make it ideal for military use in munitions to penetrate thick tank armor and in defensive armor protection. It is not a nuclear weapon.

Depleted Uranium Depleted uranium is very dense - 19050 kg/m³ -

19.1 g/cm3 Lead 11.34 g·cm−3 Tungsten ( Wolfram ) 19.25 g·cm−3 Gold 19.30 g·cm−3 Osmium 22.61 g/cm3

Irridium 22.56 g/cm3

producing 1 kg of five percent enriched uranium requires:11.8 kg of natural uranium leaves about 10.8 kg of depleted

uranium with only 0.3 percent U-235 remaining

Storage of depleted uranium

Depleted uranium is stored as Uranium Flouride (UF6) in giant cylinders. Located in Portsmouth

Use of depleted uranium Ammunition , Anti-armor projectiles Tank armor - sandwiched between sheets of steel armor plate

Counterweights in aircraft Radiation shielding – medical radiation Containers used to transport

radioactive material

This photograph most shows the different types of 120 mm DU tank shells. The two on the far left are high-explosive rounds. The pointed shells are kinetic energy projectile rounds.

Is DU a health hazard Based on credible scientific evidence, there is no proven link

between DU exposure and increases in human cancers or other significant health or environmental impacts.

The most definitive study of DU exposure is of Gulf War veterans who have embedded DU shrapnel in their bodies that cannot be removed. To date none has developed any health abnormalities due to uranium chemical toxicity or radio toxicity.

It is a common misconception that radioactivity is the main health hazard of DU rather than chemical toxicity. Like other heavy metals, DU is potentially poisonous. In sufficient amounts, if DU is ingested or inhaled it can be harmful because of its chemical toxicity. High concentration could cause kidney damage.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), very large amounts of DU dust would have to be inhaled to cause lung cancer from radio toxicity. Risks of other radiation-induced cancers, including leukemia, are considered to be very much lower still.

How can people be exposed Inhalation: The main potential route of exposure is inhalation of DU dust,

generated when DU ammunitions hit hard targets. Inhalation may lead to lungs and other organs being exposed. Those near the target immediately following impact are most likely to receive the highest doses. A potential pathway for those living in DU affected areas is via the inhalation of DU particles that initially settle in soil but are re-suspended through wind or human activities.

Ingestion: Children playing and adults working or living in former conflict zones could be exposed if they ingested, inadvertently or deliberately, DU contaminated soil. Uranium is not effectively transported in the food chain so transfer of DU from contaminated soil to drinking water or locally produced food is unlikely to harm people living or visiting the area.

Body contact: Contact exposure through skin is typically low and unimportant. Radiation skin burns (erythema) from touching DU are unlikely, even if it is held against the skin for a number of weeks. However, DU could enter the blood through open wounds or from embedded DU fragments.

Body retention: According to WHO: a) Practically all (98%) DU entering the body is excreted and never reaches the blood stream. b)Of the fraction of uranium absorbed into the blood, around 70% will be filtered by the kidney and excreted in the urine within 24 hours; this amount increases to 90% within a few days.

True energy densities Energy density by mass (MJ/kg) Antimatter 89,875,518,000 Hydrogen fusion 645,000,000 Deuterium-tritium fusion 337,000,000 Uranium-235 used in nuclear weapons 88,250,000 Natural uranium (99.3% U-238, 0.7% U-235) in fast breeder reactor

86,000,000 Reactor-grade uranium (3.5% U-235) light weight reactor 3,456,000 Natural uranium (0.7% U235) in light water reactor 443,000 Nitroglycerin 6.38

Reference www.wikipedia.com

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