Depleted Uranium (DU) has some legitimate uses in military and commercial. Commercial applications include aircraft and boat stabilizers. Military use includes armor piercing projectiles as well as the strengthening of battlefield armor.

Although DU is helpful where it comes to protection of military assets and the destruction of the enemy on the battlefield, when human beings come into contact with DU in certain ways there is always the potential for harm. The degree of harm depends largely on whom you talk to.

DU emits alpha and beta particles as well as gamma rays. The predominant emitted particle, however, is alpha. However, contrary to popular thought, DU is about 40% less radioactive than uranium in its natural form. Alpha particles are for the most part prevented from entering the human body by the skin and Beta particles are blocked by clothing that soldiers wear. Thus, as long as DU material remains outside the body, it is commonly said to be harmless.

The problem with all of this, so it appears, is that when DU munitions are used to penetrate armor, it burns through the metal creating potentially toxic and radioactive dust. If this dust should enter the lungs of a soldier or the body through some other means, alpha particles can be carried throughout the organs through the circulatory system creating some undesirable consequences.

Please use the following collection of links if you would like to know more about DU and its alleged affects on the human body:

DU Information Index on USVI
Atomic Veterans Index on USVI