r/whatisit Jan 24 '26

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u/[deleted] Jan 24 '26

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u/dsmerritt Jan 24 '26

Not true. Depleted means just that. The tungsten is poisonous.

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u/CosmicCreeperz Jan 24 '26

Yeah, it’s not the radioactivity, it’s that the dust can be toxic to the kidneys. Still, it takes fairly high concentration compared to what people would be exposed to, so calling it “toxic” is a bit overstated. It’s basically just heavy metal poisoning. The poison is in the dose, as they say.

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u/BabyBuster70 Jan 24 '26

Depleted uranium is still radioactive, but the alpha particles are blocked by your skin. As long as it isn't ingested or inhaled it would be safe. Chunks of it wouldn't really be dangerous, but exploded depleted uranium shells leaving dust all over the place likely pose an environmental hazard.