11-30-2012, 06:55 PM
Depleted uranium (uranium-238) is slightly radioactive. However it is an alpha emitter so it is not very dangerous to handle unless you inhale or swallow it; the particles can't penetrate the skin. But uranium is extremely toxic, like lead, so that is where the main danger from DU is.
That said, it's unclear how much DU was actually used here. The only things that are documented are the Davy Crockett dummy warheads that were fired at Pohakuloa. It would be worse if they had fired anti-tank rounds, but I've never seen evidence of that and the Army has never admitted it. But many things have been done that were not even documented so they may not even know what was done decades ago. You can find many unexploded bombs and shells well outside the areas that they were supposed to have been ever been dropped/fired.
That said, it's unclear how much DU was actually used here. The only things that are documented are the Davy Crockett dummy warheads that were fired at Pohakuloa. It would be worse if they had fired anti-tank rounds, but I've never seen evidence of that and the Army has never admitted it. But many things have been done that were not even documented so they may not even know what was done decades ago. You can find many unexploded bombs and shells well outside the areas that they were supposed to have been ever been dropped/fired.