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The chemical toxicity of depleted uranium is identical to that of natural uranium and about a million times greater in vivo than DU's radiological hazard, [101] with the kidney considered to be the main target organ. [102] Health effects of DU are determined by factors such as the extent of exposure and whether it was internal or external.
For natural uranium fuel, fissile component starts at 0.7% 235 U concentration in natural uranium. At discharge, total fissile component is still 0.5% (0.2% 235 U, 0.3% fissile 239 Pu, 241 Pu ). Fuel is discharged not because fissile material is fully used-up, but because the neutron-absorbing fission products have built up and the fuel becomes ...
The main risk of exposure to depleted uranium is chemical poisoning by uranium oxide rather than radioactivity (uranium being only a weak alpha emitter). During the later stages of World War II , the entire Cold War , and to a lesser extent afterwards, uranium-235 has been used as the fissile explosive material to produce nuclear weapons.
When fired, depleted uranium becomes ‘essentially an exotic metal dart fired at extraordinarily high speed’
Mixed oxide, or MOX fuel, is a blend of plutonium and natural or depleted uranium which behaves similarly (though not identically) to the enriched uranium feed for which most nuclear reactors were designed. MOX fuel is an alternative to low enriched uranium (LEU) fuel used in the light water reactors which predominate nuclear power generation.
When fired, depleted uranium becomes ‘essentially an exotic metal dart fired at extraordinarily high speed’
In stable isotopes, light elements typically have a lower ratio of neutrons to protons in their nucleus than heavier elements. Light elements such as helium-4 have close to a 1:1 neutron:proton ratio. The heaviest elements such as uranium have close to 1.5 neutrons per proton (e.g. 1.587 in uranium-238).
As a part of a $1 billion aid package, the United States announced this week that it is sending depleted anti-tank munitions to Ukraine to help Zelensky’s troops fend off Russian tanks. The ...