Weapons

Depleted Uranium (DU) Heavy Metal And Radioactive Poison

“Depleted Uranium (DU) is a toxic, radioactive heavy metal that is the waste by-product of the uranium enrichment process when producing nuclear weapons and uranium for nuclear reactors. Because this radioactive waste is plentiful and 1.7 times more dense than lead, the United States government uses DU in munitions/ammunition which are extremely effective at piercing armored vehicles. However, every round of DU ammunition leaves a residue of DU dust on everything it hits, contaminating the surrounding area with toxic waste that has a half-life of 4.5 billion years—the age of our solar system—and turns every battlefield and firing range into a toxic waste site that poisons everyone in such areas. DU dust can be inhaled, ingested, or absorbed through scratches in the skin. DU is linked to DNA damage, cancer, birth defects, and multiple other health problems. The UN classifies Depleted Uranium ammunitions as illegal Weapons of Mass Destruction because of their long-term impact on the land over which they are used and the long-term health problems they cause when people are exposed to them.” [1]
Recent studies document a sharp increase in leukemia and birth defects in areas of Iraq that were close to US military action and open air burn pits. The USA, UK and Australia have used DU weapons extensively (Balkans, Afghanistan and Iraq: 350+ tons in 1991, and ~1500+ tons in 2003). The hazards and military applications of uranium contamination of people and the environment have been recognized and studied in Canada and the USA since the 1930s.