...............a large batch of British tank ammunition with depleted uranium, which was recently brought to Ukraine along with Storm Shadow missiles, was also destroyed. As a result of a huge explosion, particles of depleted uranium could be dispersed on the territory of the Khmelnytsky region, which, taking into account the experience of Yugoslavia and Iraq, could lead to an outbreak of cancer in the medium term. There are already reports that the radiation background has allegedly increased in Khmelnitsky. Let's wait for actual confirmation.
https://files.catbox.moe/or6wbe.mp4
https://files.catbox.moe/ul4m0y.mp4
Slight error. DU has 0.3% U-235, not 30% (natural uranium has 0.72%). All isotopes of uranium decay primarily by alpha emission or spontaneous fission (neutron emission). Some of the decay products emit beta particles or gamma photons. The rise in gamma radiation is relative to the natural background level, and is only an uptick. Hard to accept that this has any health risk per se. One would not want to ingest uranium metal or compounds simply as a measure against heavy metal poisoning.
I agree it is only a minimal uptick, and thanks for the correction on the numbers.
My main point is that this whole episode is fraught with people talking about it. The confusion will create discourse. They cannot hide that there was an uptick in radiation, and this means that they have to admit that DU munitions do this sort of thing. Either that, or admit that the Ukrainians were hiding a 'suitcase nuke' in their ammo pile.
Also, there will be people who will over-react. As in, the people who are in the way of the radioactive cloud, even if it won't cause significant harm to a population, it may cause harm to an individual. And that's the whole essence of a wicked problem: there are so many angles and points of view. There will be political ramifications, as well as economical ones.
So you see, I am not really worried about the radiation so much as musing. I wonder if this incident will wake up a movement. Is it being talked about in the mainstream media, for example, or is it being suppressed? After all, the West had egg on their face.