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Ana-Liofa On Toxicity Of Depleted Uranium And Firing RangesAna-Liofa On Toxicity Of Depleted Uranium And Firing Ranges
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The air is radioactive, in that sense. You are correct about the heavy metal toxicity being the main problem with it.... all heavy metals are toxic, including lead. DU rounds are especially toxic when they fly through the armored vehicle you are sitting in, but there is a small amount of toxicity at the point the round leaves the barrel. All heavy metal is toxic when vaporized or reduced to an extremely fine, breathable powder. Firing Ranges in this country, for lead ammunition, are now classified as toxic waste dumps for the first 15 feet or so from the firing line. Heavy metal in a chunk is not especially bad unless it is flying at you at high velocities.
The amount of radioactivity you get is very, very small. Tank crews live in boxes practically made of the stuff - the DU armor, with stacks of armor piercing rounds inside with them. The fact is though, that they are really the only ones exposed to the vaporization of the rounds in the barrel, and the toxic effect on the enemy is limited to impact.
Note that firing ranges have to be used in the same spots for many years before the dirt absords enough heavy metal to be toxic. But breathing the vapor isn't good.
My point here was not to discuss more than necessary the effects of heavy metals on combatants, but to point out that not only our army, but most of our allies use DU routinely, and have for years. Trying to make it into a WMD is just silly... unless blowing the daylights out of enemy armor is "mass destruction"
Modern tanks have evolved a lot from the steel box of WWII.
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