Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!att!cbnews!military
From: sysmgr@KING.ENG.UMD.EDU (Doug Mohney)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: depleted uranium ammunition
Message-ID: <15442@cbnews.ATT.COM>
Date: 11 Apr 90 03:16:44 GMT
References: <15220@cbnews.ATT.COM> <15264@cbnews.ATT.COM> <15306@cbnews.ATT.COM>,<15380@cbnews.ATT.COM>
Sender: military@cbnews.ATT.COM
Organization: The U. of MD, CP, CAD lab
Lines: 31
Approved: military@att.att.com



From: sysmgr@KING.ENG.UMD.EDU (Doug Mohney)
In article <15380@cbnews.ATT.COM>, nuchat!steve@uunet.UU.NET (Steve Nuchia) writes:
>
>I'd guess that in most scenarios that include a lot of
>DU slugs in the ground outside of designated ranges, there
>will be refugees or others who will "mine" the metal for
>its scrap value, which will be high as long as the fighting
>continues, and non-zero afterwards.

Very few countries drive off to the range and pop off Depleted Uranium
rounds for practice; usually it's too EXPENSIVE. I'm not even sure if
anyone outside of the "First World" uses depleted uranium rounds.

>Of course the slugs in the ranges in most of the world
>aren't being collected, and probably contribute to the
>heavy metal content of the runoff water from those areas.
>I wonder if it is any worse than the lead runoff from all
>the military and private small-arms ranges all over the world?

You miss the point. Uranium burns, and when it travels through the tank
it will splinter and burn and break up into little bitty pieces which
can be inhaled. As (I suspect) a low grade alpha emitter, you're talking
guaranteed lung cancer if mixed in with smoke. 

The lead from bullets and small arms tends to stay in bullets and
is not in a soluble form which will leach into the watertables. At least
that's what I'd be willing to bet. Where are the chem people when you need 'em? 

[mod.note:  The lead can form salts which are water-soluble. - Bill ]