Reply #36: Scientific facts about DU risks from World Health Organization

[Clarkie1]

World Health Organization fact sheet:

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs257/en/

"Due to its high density, about twice that of lead, the main civilian uses of DU include counterweights in aircraft, radiation shields in medical radiation therapy machines and containers for the transport of radioactive materials. The military uses DU for defensive armour plate.

DU is used in armour penetrating military ordnance because of its high density, and also because DU can ignite on impact if the temperature exceeds 600°C."

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"The main difference between DU and natural uranium is that the former contains at least three times LESS 235U than the latter.

DU, consequently, is WEAKLY radioactive and a radiation dose from it would be about 60% of that from purified NATURAL uranium with the same mass.

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"Under most circumstances, use of DU will make a NEGLIGIBLE contribution to the overall natural background levels of uranium in the environment. Probably the greatest potential for DU exposure will follow conflict where DU munitions are used.

A recent United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report giving field measurements taken around selected impact sites in Kosovo (Federal Republic of Yugoslavia) indicates that contamination by DU in the environment was localized to a few tens of metres around impact sites. Contamination by DU dusts of local vegetation and water supplies was found to be extremely low. Thus, the probability of significant exposure to local populations was considered to be very low."