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Post by nomuse on Nov 2, 2005 15:52:41 GMT -4
If I'm remember at all correctly, Du is a poor gamma emitter, putting most of the energy out as alpha. Another reason for that fine coating of teflon! I do agree that there is a health aspect to the battlefield use. You've got fine powder which is capable of being inhaled, but worse, capable of getting into the bloodstream through wounds or internal lacerations. It is not, at least, preferentially grabbed up like iodine is, but it aparently will accumulate in several spots -- where, at fractions of a cm from live tissue -- it is capable of doing damage.
On the other hand (fatalism again) modern battlefields are also strewn with unexploded munitions and buried mines. As well as being economically savaged, which is going to cause a great many more casualties (particularly infant mortality), in the short run.
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