Radioactive dust emitted by depleted uranium munitions has been linked to rises in cancer and congenital defects in babies following the US bombing of Iraq
  • Eheran@lemmy.world
    13·
    3 days ago

    Isn’t it the heavy metal part, not the tiny bit of radioactivity, that is the problem?

    • bestboyfriendintheworld
      16·
      3 days ago

      Yes, for depleted Uranium the metal itself is toxic already. The radioactivity is less of an issue with depleted uranium, hence the depleted. This is similar to other heavy metals not being healthy. You don’t want that in your body.

      The question is how much depleted uranium ended up where? The bunker buster bombs penetrate fairly deep underground and most of the Uranium should end up there as well. The site of Nasrallah’s bunker was dug up and thus the material spread among the excavated debris.

      Now that this danger is known, decontamination and encapsulation can be used to mitigate the consequences.

  • kandoh@reddthat.com
    2·
    3 days ago

    Israel drops ‘depleted uranium bombs’ inside Beirut: Official

    Israel has been accused of using depleted uranium bombs in Beirut, Lebanon. The Lebanese Chemists Syndicate claims that the destruction observed suggests the use of such weapons, known for their penetrating power[1][2]. However, the Lebanese Ministry of Health stated there is no evidence yet of uranium use in the attacks[2]. Reports indicate that Israel dropped 80 one-ton bombs during strikes in late September, which may have included depleted uranium[3][5]. Depleted uranium is controversial due to its potential health risks, including cancer and birth defects[1].

    Citations: [1] Has Israel used ‘toxic’ depleted uranium in Lebanon? - The New Arab https://www.newarab.com/news/has-israel-used-toxic-depleted-uranium-lebanon [2] Depleted uranium is a deadly weapon… Did Israel use it in Lebanon? https://yemenshabab.net/en/sections/NEWS/Arab/aba67e99-84bf-11ef-9772-4292e6ba5caa [3] Israel drops ‘depleted uranium bombs’ inside Beirut: Official https://thecradle.co/articles-id/27194 [4] Israel drops ‘depleted uranium bombs’ inside Beirut: Official - Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/palestinenews/comments/1fyx2nf/israel_drops_depleted_uranium_bombs_inside_beirut/ [5] Has Israel bombed Beirut’s southern suburbs with ''depleted … https://today.lorientlejour.com/article/1430194/has-israel-bombed-beiruts-southern-suburbs-with-depleted-uranium-munitions.html [6] The Cradle on X: "Israel drops ‘depleted uranium bombs’ inside … https://twitter.com/TheCradleMedia/status/1843609326386139406 [7] Israel using internationally banned bombs in Lebanon, chemists … https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20241007-israel-using-internationally-banned-bombs-in-lebanon-chemists-union-says/ [8] Israel drops ‘depleted uranium bombs’ inside Beirut: Official - X https://x.com/TheCradleMedia/status/1843609326386139406

  • Kaboom@reddthat.com
    634·
    3 days ago

    So terrorist claims something absurd that makes them out to be a victim? Again?

    Does anyone outside of Lemmy believe them at this point? Boy who cried wolf syndrome.

    • BrikoX@lemmy.zipOPMEnglish
      281·
      3 days ago

      Lebanese people are not labelled terrorist by any country. With the exceptions of Israel, of course. But even Israel doesn’t dare to state that directly, so they instead claim all killed civilians as Hezbollah operatives. But their global standing is nonexistent since they are actively committing a genocide against Palestinian people at the moment. They will be remembered as the next Nazis in the history books.

      If you are either uneducated or brainwashed enough to believe that a 3-year-old or 5-year-old child is a Hezbollah operative, there is no helping you.

      Also, the same can be said for the terrorist state of Israel. Should anyone believe any of their claims since they are known for terrorist attacks?

    • bestboyfriendintheworld
      15·
      3 days ago

      Depleted uranium is used in armor piercing tank shells, armor piercing autocannon rounds, and bunker buster bombs. The high density of Uranium helps with penetration. Depleted uranium is commonly used for that purpose. Tungsten is a more expensive and slightly worse alternative used by other countries. Only a small part of the bomb contains Uranium. Most of the destruction comes from the explosives.

      We know the Israeli Air Force used bunker buster bombs to kill Nasrallah in his bunker, possibly BLU-109.

      So this whole story is certainly plausible.

      • steventhedev@lemmy.worldEnglish
        23·
        3 days ago

        Plausible yes. Painting it as if it were doctrine is not.

        DU is toxic and radioactive, but the radioactivity is stopped by a literal sheet of paper. So the article is just panic inducing propaganda intended for people who want yet another reason to hate on Israel

        EU source regarding the radioactivity of DU munitions: https://ec.europa.eu/health/scientific_committees/opinions_layman/depleted-uranium/en/index.htm

        • bestboyfriendintheworld
          51·
          3 days ago

          Depleted Uranium is still a toxic heavy metal. Sure it’s not that dangerous if it’s outside your body. However you can easily breathe in dust or ingest it in some other way. Then there’s no piece of paper between the radiation and your body anymore.

          However there are all kinds of other unhealthy materials in the dust from collapsed buildings, like asbestos.