Depleted uranium found in Florida airport, evacuation ordered

reply to post by UmbraSumus


In the case of an accident there isn't enough DU present to cause any serious environmental issues. It is also very likely that an airplane crash would not cause the DU ballast weights to atomize. We are talking about an incredibly hard and dense metal.

I don't know the level of use in military aircraft generally speaking. An educated guess would say that any aircraft large enough to require counterweight assemblies would use DU.

reply to post by UmbraSumus


Starting in the 1960s Boeing used it on all their aircraft (military and civilian), as did other manufacturers. The Boeing 747 used between 881 and 3300 pounds of DU throughout the airframe. Other aircraft used less, as they were smaller. Starting in the early 1980s, with the 757 and 767 Boeing switched to tungsten ballast instead, as it was cheaper.

reply to post by Zaphod58 & projectvxn




One of the real appealing aspects of ATS - Knowledge and experience shared by members.

Much appreciated info

Well the fact that it was detected in a barrel (unmarked I assume) is what would have put them on such high alert. I also get the feeling they believe it to be DU from the radiation signature but until the lid on the barrel is off or it has been scanned properly that is just their best guess and they are simply prepared for as many contingencies as possible.

Better safe than sorry is a wise move when dealing with hazardous materials especially when they are in packages that have been known to be explosive devices in the past. IMO they are just covering their bases because the origin of the container is unknown. The DU isn’t the worry it is the question of what else might there be.

A little research and I found the contingency plan for responding to radioactive materials from DOH

doh.dc.gov...

DU isn't even on the list of things to worry about so it makes me think they are more worried about the packaging.

That`s a bit of an over reaction isn`t it? DU is completely safe according to the government, they could even just throw it out with their regular trash, right?

It is deadly when used as a projectile. In solid form, radioactive yes, but nothing like what happens when it hit's something solid, like the side of a tank or fortified building. The pulverization of this stuff, as an atomized gas, will kill you. It is like saying that a bomb is safe, until someone lights it.

I think this is something that should be banned worldwide.

I saw a documentary only a couple of days ago about one of the Iraq towns where the occurrence of cancer is more common that the common cold the doctor there said and the birth deformities, which are horrendous and lead to early deaths are so common its obvious that something has contaminated the area.

These weapons may make huge bucks for their suppliers but for humans they are pure evil when its not enough to kill with a bullet, you pollute the area for a very long time after so your legacy lingers and lingers.

I hope that the airport staff and all who have been near the area are fine but I am ignorant as to whether this is material that can leak into the water table and so spread

Originally posted by Shiloh7


I saw a documentary only a couple of days ago about one of the Iraq towns where the occurrence of cancer is more common that the common cold the doctor there said and the birth deformities, which are horrendous and lead to early deaths are so common its obvious that something has contaminated the area.

Ihat Iraq town was also headquarters for Saddams chemical warfare weapons manufacturing.

It was a Shia town in a Sunni run country so they did not care.

Its just like in the US where they put the dirty industries in the minority parts of town.

reply to post by stormcell


Did not know that... Thanks for the update.

Here's some more fun with DU for people to think about. Until the 1980s, DU was used in dentistry for crowns. It was also used for years in ceramics and glassware. So if you have an older set of ceramic plates, you may be eating off DU.

I think most of us know what DU, ie. Depleted Uranium is, and for those who don't here's some reading material to think about. We unleashed hundreds of TONS of this in Iraq, and who knows where else. The life of this toxic substance is measured in
hundreds of lifetimes..... even more in some cases. What is the moral scope of using such an abhorrent poisoning agent....? How do you claim the high ground when using this stuff?

This stuff is a Pandora's Box item......... too bad huh......

well sorry, I couldn't get a worthwhile link to load....

Originally posted by MDDoxs
reply to post by projectvxn

 

Perhaps at an airport there would be more of a sensitivity to it.
But if we go nuts every time DU is detected we are going to have a pretty distracted emergency response service and for no reason.

I agree completely. I am not familiar with the detection process or whether or not you can determine if radiation is being emitted from DU or not. I think caution is wise with respect to sensitive areas like we have agreed on.

Yes industrial DU is radioactive. But it is obvious people don't understand how radio activity works. You would need to be exposed to this stuff for constantly for decades, maybe centuries before any ill effects manifested for the exposure.

Depending of level of radiation emitted correct? If it was a minimal amount it would take a long period of time to accumulate, but if the opposite was true, the time frame is reversed right?

DU is used in so many different things. There's also a lot of propaganda surrounding DU. No one actually looks at the facts about it. Especially not on ats where there's always some yahoo claiming it killed someone they know without any proof. No solid connection.

I agree again. From some preliminary research into, there are many conflicting reports on the material, both anecdotal and research based.

Conspiracy theory on ATS is more powerful than science.

True, but the conspiracy angle of any subject is what attract many here, as long as they are willing to listen to reason and logic, then all is in good fun.

The big fear is that someone is going to smuggle through some weapons-grade uranium contained in a lead shield. So the radiation detectors are set at full sensitivity. This has the additional benefit of picking up radioactive medical components that have been sold for scrap. So they have to be careful otherwise accidents
can happen, like the Goiânia accident:

en.wikipedia.org...ânia_accident

So much for HOMELAND SECURITY!



Wonder how many other drums of DU have gone undetected at other civilian/public venues!

reply to post by gardener


There was nothing to detect. It was ballast from an aircraft being disassembled.