Depleted Uranium
Definition: Uranium consisting of the same three isotopes (234U, 235U, and 238U) as natural uranium, but with a slightly greater percentage of 238U (99.8 percent instead of 99.3 percent).
Fast Facts
Important Facts
- Depleted uranium (DU) is 40 percent less radioactive than naturally occurring uranium.
- Uranium is a common heavy metal that each of us is exposed to routinely.
- Many independent studies and investigations have found that radiation from DU does not pose a significant health risk. Any illnesses that might develop would primarily affect the kidneys.
- Servicemembers who have inhaled DU particles or who have retained DU fragments in their bodies have shown no long-term health effects from either radiation or heavy metal toxicity after more than a decade of close medical monitoring.
Resources
- Depleted Uranium Web Page -
- Depleted Uranium
- USACHPPM Fact Sheet,
- For more information on Depleted Uranium go to the DoD Depleted Uranium (DU) Library
Deployment Health & Family Readiness Library Topics
DeployMed ResearchLINK Topics
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