U238 is TOXIC. from the Canadian study I linked to:According to them, DU becomes an aerosol when exploded and releases heavy metals and DU in micron sizes that easily pass the lung barrier. The sizes are so small that they pass in and out of cells easily and are not removed efficiently by the kidneys for the same reason. And since the DU particles are smaller, more surface area is exposed per dose which allows DU to release Alpha radiation more efficiently within the body.
Everything you posted, which I've read, makes sense and refutes a lot of what I've read. But some of the interviews and data that I absorbed prior to your post states the risks are completely different when DU is used as a kinetic weapon because of the changes it undergoes upon impact.
Kidney toxicity at 40 mg. The math I used in my previous post was 1000mg. I honestly don't know how big a dose is necessary to achieve a 40 mg dose at the kidney, the study goes into a great deal of detail about the metabolic processing, if you are interested.Toxicological Effects of DU
As noted earlier, whereas U is more radioactive than DU, there is no difference between
them chemically. Like other heavy metals such as lead, mercury and plutonium, U is
chemically toxic (Roth et al. 2001) and consequently, so is DU. All three isotopes that
comprise U and DU are equally toxic from a chemical perspective (McDiarmid 2012).
Whether DU is inhaled or ingested, most ends up being excreted in urine and in feces.
As mentioned earlier, the rapidity with which this occurs is dependent largely on the
solubility of the compounds involved. The kidney is the organ most at risk for damage
because of its role in clearing the U from the blood and excreting it. In the process of
doing this, the U accumulates in the epithelium of the renal tubules which, within a few
days of heavy exposure, causes the epithelial cells to die and the tubular walls to
atrophy. There are also glomerular changes. These changes lead to a decrease in the
reabsorption of glucose, sodium and amino acids into the blood resulting in increased
glucose levels in the urine and in proteinuria (TRS 2002; IOM 2008). The severity of
damage depends on the U level. A single inhalation of 8 mg of soluble U is regarded as
the threshold level for transient kidney toxicity, that is, these changes are totally
reversible; permanent damage can be caused by 40 mg. (Roth et al. 2001). There is still
much to be learned about the link between levels of U in the urine and clinical
symptoms despite the fact that many animal studies have been conducted to better
understand the mechanisms of kidney injury that U can cause.
Huge amounts of DU fired, google A10 video for what that looks like. Most rounds hit sand. Each round is encased in lead. If it hit sand, the lead went with the DU, and it is probably still there. If it hit a hard target, the lead peels back like it was butter, the DU penetrates, superheating and burning along the way. Burnt DU is not fun, but if you are in that vehicle, long term toxicity is the least of your worries.
There was an ammo fire, some friendly fire incidents, etc. We have a population exposed to burning DU to study. It is being studied. And yeah, I can see the heavy handed general trying to put his thumb on the scale (but that might just be my prejudice against field grade officers). But most of this work is done by DOE scientists, not military, and the VA reports to an entirely different chain of command. Honestly, there aren't enough cases of DU exposure to make a blip on the VA budget, even at 100% disability for all of em. PTSD is a far bigger budget concern.
I expect, like lead, U238 toxcity is tied to particle size. A chunk, sitting in your hand, is no big deal. I have handled 20mm minigun DU rounds. they are heavy, but not that heavy. Burning, in an enclosed environment, it's going to be a real problem. Sitting in the sand 60km away? that's only a PR problem.