Re: Can someone explain this to me in fireman talk

["Frank Helk" <frank.helk@nis-hanau.de>]

Hi Louis,



>Can someone explain to me how DU exposure ='s RAD sickness?



OK - I think I can ... and I try to make it short and simple.



Uranium - as it is found in the nature - consists of three nuclides, U234, U235 and U238, of which only U235 is fissile (=usable for NPPs and bombs), but 

they're all radioactive. Depleted Uranium has been mostly stripped off the fissile nuclide. Besides of the radioactivity, uranium is a heavy metal, roughly as 

chemotoxic as i.e. lead. 



If DU is used as ammunition (it can break shieds due to its very high density), a great share of the bullet is pulverized by the force of the impact.



If the resulting dust is inhaled, the dust praticles accumulate in the lung, with the following effects:



- the particles irradiate the lung lissue with alpha radiation, which could cause lung cancer



- some of the uranium gets dissolved by the body liquids and will travel mainly to the bones and accumulate there, where it will irradiate the bone marrow - that 

may result in bone cancer and leukemia.



- the uranium may also cause chemotoxic damage to i.e. the kidneys.



There are therapies that may remove uranium from the blood by binding it to chemicals that walk easy thru the kidneys.



Best regards



	Frank





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