The radioactivity of freshly prepared DU is only about 60% the radioactivity of natural uranium as DU has less of the more radioactive isotopes U-234 and U-235 per mass unit than natural U (Table 2) (Bleise et al., 2003).
All natural U isotopes emit alpha particles (table 2), i.e. positively charged ions composed of two protons and two neutrons. Both beta (high-energy electrons) and gamma (very high energy photons) activity of relevant U isotopes are low. Due to their relatively large size and charge, alpha particles have little penetrating power. The penetration range of a 5 MeV alpha particle is approximately 4 cm in air and 50 micrometers in soft tissue. Therefore, alpha particles do not penetrate the keratin layer of intact human skin. As a result, U represents a radiation hazard only after inhalation or ingestion.
Table 2. Average energy emission per transformation of the U isotopes U-238, U-235 and U-234 (Burkhart, 1991).
| Isotope | Average energy per transformation (MeV/Bq) | ||
| Alpha | Beta | Gamma | |
| U-238 | 4.26 | 0.01 | 0.001 |
| U-235 | 4.47 | 0.048 | 0.154 |
| U-234 | 4.84 | 0.0013 | 0.002 |
DU penetrators collected in Kosovo contained traces of U-236, Pu-239 and Pu-240 (IAEA, 2003; UNEP, 2001). Trace amounts of Am, Np, and 99Tc were also detected (DAF-OO- ALC, 1997; Diehl, 2001). The traces of U-236 (<0.003%) may result from cross- contamination due to the use of the same equipment for handling both non-irradiated and irradiated U (TACOM, 2000). However, the increase in radiation dose due to the trace amounts of these elements and isotopes is less than 1% (WHO, 2001).
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The answer is that depleted uranium does emit gamma radiation. The increased amount in Ukraine after the Russian attack on military stores was slightly more than normal but there was an increase.
Depleted uranium should be outlawed but the question is why did England send these to Ukraine?
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How the T-14 Armata Tank Was Built to Survive Hits From American Depleted Uranium Shells
Since the unveiling of Russia’s T-14 Armata in 2015, which is considered one of just three fourth generation battle tanks in service anywhere in the world, Russian media outlets and officials have highlighted a number of the vehicle’s features which are considered particularly revolutionary.
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While it has been hotly contested whether the most advanced tanks in the Soviet military such as the T-80UK, T-72BM or the T-64B would have been able to survive hits from American Abrams tanks using depleted uranium rounds, Russia’s latest tanks and the T-14 in particular are well armoured enough to survive a wide range of attacks and were built with withstanding such rounds in mind.
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Multiple Russian sources have reported that the latest variants of the Afganit active protection system used on the T-14, which have also been integrated onto the T-90M, can shield the vehicles from uranium armour-piercing discarded sabot (APDS) shells.
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Where does that leave the people in Ukraine who are now exposed to a small dose of gamma radiation? I doubt they will have any serious side effects from it. Where does that leave the people in Ukraine who are now breathing in depleted uranium dust with alpha radiation? That is the question that we should be asking. The second question is whether this release of uranium dust will contaminate the crops from the breadbasket of Europe?
David DeGerolamo
They used depleted uranium rounds in Iraq, a lot of the returning vets have gotten sick from their use, DOD will not recognize this just as they did not recognize agent orange.
Tell that to all the people who got cancer or were born with birth defects from it.
Reading comprehension. The increase in gamma radiation is minimal. The problem with alpha radiation is not.
Yes, trust the results of an international body that was set up SPECIFICALLY to provide cover to the US and UK war criminals that use this type of shell. I’m sure Agent Orange and all the toxic burn pits were found to be perfectly fine by similar agencies at the time.
Spot on!
While I’m NOT a nuclear engineer, I have studied certain aspects of nuclear physics. It’s my understanding (as I have to stand under the opinion of others) Plutonium is a prime Alpha generator, while Uranium is a prime Gamma generator.
As Swrich claimed, Alpha radiation can be deflected by a piece of paper. It’s ingestion is a real problem (tear ducts are highly vulnerable, whoda thought). Once inside it bounces around to do damage.
Beta can be stopped by a quarter inch of steel.
Gamma radiation is much, much, worse. It can take six inches of lead to stop Gamma, and it ain’t giving you Hulk superpowers.
While at the VA in West Palm Beach many years ago during the forever wars, many YOUNG men were coming in with various cancers previously rare in those so young. A VA employee told me that those young men were told that nothing was wrong and that the VA was having truckloads of prozac arrive and given to them instead of treatment.
David -- -- Excellent info. Many thanks for this article.
As I understand it, a large swath of Western Ukraine is about to receive the dust from destroyed Brit depleted uranium rounds. And the winds may take the dust into Romania or Poland and the Baltic’s.
War is a nasty business and the remaining land mines, unexploded ordinance, and now uranium dust, will plague the battle sites for decades. It didn’t have to be this way, but BuyDem (Nuland and her wrecking crew) and Boris Johnson had to keep the money laundering con continuing……
All that was needed was for the Ukies to become, like Austria, not aligned with NATO !!
development of the multiple forms of defoliant orange is just one of several, still leaves it marks. Originally tested on Kauai and Oahu, in Hawaii, the damage came still be seen at the test sites. Why Hawaii you ask, just in case it got out of hand, where better than islands in the middle of the Pacific, the most isolated spots around. I’m sure DPU will leave it little presents about as well.
Uranium is a strong alpha emitter. The alpha particles are easy to shield against, but that is not their hazard. They are an ingestion hazard, especially for lung tissue, where they cause cancer. Firing the ammunition leaves dust everywhere, creating an airborne contamination hazard. Uranium in your lungs is unimaginably bad.
P.S. I am a degreed nuclear engineer. I can look up the details but don’t need to. This is bad shit.
While England was spouting off about the “lack” of hazards of DU shells, I looked up uranium mining. Yep there are hazards to being exposed to natural uranium which is 99% U-238. And that is massively diluted with the matrix rock the ore is in. Funny how they lie all the time.
well, a load of those shells from England went up in the big bang at the ammo dump and now it will spread for hundreds of miles in the wind.
“A small dose of gamma radiation”. Newsflash. Everyone is exposed to small dose of gamma radiation constantly. More if they spend more time outside or flying at altitude. Leave talk about radiation and it’s effects on people to the experts…. like me. DU projectiles can cause problems. But are nowhere near as dangerous as most people believe unless you are on the receiving end of one traveling at high speed. Should they be banned? Maybe. Do the pose a risk to some people? Sometimes. But blanket panic over them is pointless. Like almost everything in life it’s a matter of degree. And for most people DU is not an issue. For the tiny percentage of people exposed to it it can be. But there are tons of other things in life that are no more or less dangerous. People don’t scream about them. I’d rather handle a DU projectile than almost any other isotopic element.