Ecological Considerations of Depleted Uranium Munitions

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Los Alamos National Laboratory

1974

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ABSTRACT

Ecological consequences of depleted uranium (DU) released to the environment as a result of

military use of DU munitions were appraised by reviewing pertinent literature. Estimates were based

upon ecosystem responses to natural uranium, which is more soluble and more toxic than DU. It

was concluded that the major ecological hazard from expended uranium munitions will be chemical

toxicity rather than radiation. The alloy nature of the munitions will substantially decrease the

mobility of DU and mitigate the problem. However, the ecological aspects of the chemical toxicity

of DU in terrestrial ecosystems is expected to be a major consideration of expended munitions.