Re:Hiroshima and Nagasaki: The Long Term Health Effects (2012)
by 3pt14159 on Monday March 05, 2018 @03:06PM
(#16523927)
I mean, sure, in the long term. But there is a long, long list of stuff that the military uses that I'm more worried about than DU. It's essentially like Tungsten, Lead, or Mercury.
Re:Hiroshima and Nagasaki: The Long Term Health Effects (2012)
by dagw on Monday March 05, 2018 @03:54PM
(#16524297)
The problem more or less unique to DU munitions is that it gives off tiny aerosol particles when it hits its target which can contaminate a large area and are very easy to breathe in for a long time afterwards. And breathing in these particles are linked to an increasing number of health issues.
The main health concerns aren't due to the fact that DU is highly radioactive in itself, but that tiny DU 'dust' particles break of from the munitions on impact and inhaling these particles can be very dangerous.
There is also some evidence that long term exposure to DU can lead birth defects and potentially other health problems, but the causality is very difficult to tease out.
So while I agree that DU isn't used because it is radioactive, that doesn't change the fact that it does potentially cause serious health issues.