Uranium dumb-bells

[omelissokomos]

Huh, must be some newfangled Russian bodybuilding technique.

Read all about it...

Customs service seizes depleted uranium in Russia region

Hmmm... perhaps he figured working out while being exposed to radiation would make a Hulk of him.

However, I don't believe U238 emits gamma radiation. I believe it decays slowly by emitting Alpha particles. On the other hand U235 (the bomb stuff) decays by fission, and gamma radiation always accompanies fission. So the dumbbell had the wrong dumbbell.

(FYI: "You should also know that the uranium in "depleted uranium" is not very radioactive at all and is more dangerous as a heavy metal poison than as a radioactive substance.")

[RadRx]

LG is correct about the depleted uranium not being as 'hot' as other radioactive substances. It is commonly used to shield more substantial forms of radiation since it is more dense than lead. Most of the vendors I know of number their units for tracing purposes.

It's also very expensive, and there is a global market for its industrial uses. I've heard of Russian black marketers selling it out of suitcases to make a buck or two.

[wbhunk]

I like the Hulk theory.

However, having alpha particles around isn't a really good idea. If I remember correctly, the problem with them is that they're so large and so low-energy, they tend to get "stuck" in a person's body -- as compared to gamma rays, which are high-energy photons that go right through you. Alpha particles are especially a problem if you breathe them in -- for the aforementioned reasons.

And yep, depleted uranium is used for a lot of things because of its density, especially antitank munitions. However, there's a fair amount of evidence that exposure to DU may be one of the causative factors in Gulf War syndrome.

An Alpha particle is essentially the nucleus of a helium atom. Having a lot of them stuck in your body might make you "light on your feet".

"It's a joke son, a joke." -- Foghorn Leghorn.

[brent]

DU is completely safe (I hope) when I was in the US Navy, my gun's ammunition was made of DU. I've handled tons of that stuff (literally) so I really hope it isn't too awful. I don't think that working out with a 30 lbs chuck of it would do you any more good than working out with a 30 lbs. brick of iron, it'll just give you cancer faster... However, it could make for a great story...

[wbhunk]

If I understand correctly, Brent, most of the damage comes from vaporized DU, presumably because it's more readily inhaled and absorbed -- but that really only occurs when a shell of it hits, not when it's launched. I think you're all right.