Re: Mad Scientist stuff -Reply

[Mike Dempsey <mdempsey@lanl.gov>]

I don't believe that based on the physical half life, biological half life
or physical particle size (non respirable) that DU represents an inhalation
hazard. 

I was taking this as meaning, which is more dangerous, a flying DU
projectile, or a spent round you pick up off the ground?.  I still say the
flying projectile.  

No I don't think were talking about internal.  The damage from spalated
rounds comes from the burning U (oxidized because of the heat).


My own opinion.

Mike Dempsey
mdempsey@lanl.gov



At 11:59 AM 1/27/99 -0600, you wrote:
>I don't think you can ignore the question of internal contamination.  Isn't 
>one of the issues in Iraq that these anti-tank depleted uranium shells tend 
>to break up on contact.  Then the reasoning goes, there are small particles 
>of DU available for inhalation.  
>
>Joelle Key
>jkey@mail.stat.tn.us
>
>>>> Mike Dempsey <mdempsey@lanl.gov> 01/27/99 11:31am >>>
>Can we have some more information?  The question is "Which is more deadly,
>a depleted uranium bullet or the radiation it emits?"  If the bullet is
>still moving from being fired, then it is about one trillion (1E12) times
>more dangerous than the radiation it emits.  Concerning its radiation, you
>could probably put it in your pocket for 50 years, and never develop any
>ill effects from it.  If it were laying on the ground, you would have
>difficulty detecting it with most common radiation detectors from more than
>6 ft.  If it were under a foot of soil, you what have trouble detecting it
>with very sophisticated detectors, unless you were told where to look.  All
>of this is another way to say that the radiation emissions from Depleted
>Uranium are very weak.  The reason that there is still radioactive uranium
>on the earth after 4.5 billion years, is that the half life is very long.
>Long half life means low radioactive activity.
>
>My own opinion.
>
>Mike Dempsey RRPT 
>
>mdempsey@lanl.gov
>
>
>
>
>At 03:36 PM 1/25/99 -0600, you wrote:
>>Hi Radsafers,
>>
>>My thanks to whomever pointed out this service to us.  I've gotten my first
>>question that I can answer.  (The first was about civil engineering, which
>>I am thoroughly unqualified to answer).  It is as follows:
>>
>>Which is more deadly, a depleted uranium bullet or the radiation it emits?
>>
>>Unfortunately, a grade level (k-12) was not included so I'm writing kind of
>>blind with respect to my audience, but I'll definitely have fun writing
>>this response.  Thanks to everyone who responded to this thread a few weeks
>>back, I'll certainly be using that info in my answer!
>>
>>In case you want to join the fray as well, here's the web site info again. 
>>The MAD Scientist Network
>>http://www.madsci.org/
>>
>>If this question is an indication of things to come, we stand to do a lot
>>of good by helping answer questions like this and supporting this
>>organization.  
>>
>>Fighting to save the world, one poor foolish person at a time...
>>
>>Scott Kniffin
>>
>>RSO Unisys Federal Systems, Lanham, MD
>>CHO Radiation Effects Facility, GSFC, NASA
>>mailto:Scott.D.Kniffin.1@gsfc.nasa.gov
>>
>>The opinions expressed here are my own. They do not necessarily represent
>>the views of Unisys or NASA.  This material has not been reviewed by my
>>manager or NASA.  
>>************************************************************************
>>The RADSAFE Frequently Asked Questions list, archives and subscription
>>information can be accessed at http://www.ehs.uiuc.edu/~rad/radsafe.html
>
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