[ RadSafe ] Will Robert Cherry and John Johnson facethetrutha bout DU?

[Franta, Jaroslav]

Good summary Grant,

One might also add that blasting during mining operations (at some mines)
likely yields the same type of uranium chemical species as DU bullet
impacts.....

Jaro
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^


From: radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl [mailto:radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl]On
Behalf Of NIXON, Grant
Sent: March 3, 2006 10:43 AM
To: Khalid Aleissa; Sandy Perle; radsafe at radlab.nl
Subject: RE: [ RadSafe ] Will Robert Cherry and John Johnson face
thetruthabout DU?


There is absolutely no chemical difference between natural uranium and
depleted uranium (DU). That is why physical separation of U-235 is
necessary. 

DU should present a lower radiological hazard (in cases where one might
exist) than natural uranium because it has been "depleted" of its
fissionable, natural radioisotope U-235 (the natural abundance of U-235
is 0.7% in chemically-purified uranium). People who inhale DU (e.g.,
from exploding munitions) are exposed essentially to U-238.

It could be argued that the greatest threat from airborne uranium
(depleted or not) would stem from toxicological effects rather than from
radiological effects (e.g., see the BEIR VI data on uranium miners and
the lack of statistically detectable excess cancers).

Grant Nixon, Ph.D.
Radiation Physicist
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