Depleted Uranium is an extremely dense metal, and dense conspiracy theorists believe it's the cause of everything from Gulf War Syndrome to the deadliness of Aspartame. But what is it and what's the truth about it? Well, let's get right into it, starting with claims made by conspiracy theorists.
Depleted Uranium has no use at all, not even in weapons, it's too soft and inferior.
Depleted Uranium (DU) has many uses, which is discussed in the section below. Its use is directly related to it's extreme density, which is 19.1 grams per cubic centimeter[1]. This is the reason it's used in weapons, because the density allows it to pierce armor of tanks and the like.
Depleted Uranium is only used in weapons and should be banned all together.
Because of its high density it has many uses, such as radiation shielding for radiation therapy and radiography, as well as counter weights for airplanes, sailboat keels, and armor plating[2].
Depleted Uranium is dangerous because it's highly radioactive.
DU is weakly radioactive, and has about the same radioactivity as glow in the dark buttons on TV remotes, and the trouble comes from it being a toxic metal[3], but it's actually less toxic than mercury or arsenic[4].
Depleted Uranium causes sicknesses like Gulf War Syndrome.
I have a whole section on Gulf War Syndrome where this is discussed as well as the effects of depleted uranium.
The reason aspartame is so deadly is because it contains depleted uranium.
This theory isn't that common but it's popped up a few times here and there. I have a whole section for aspartame, and depleted uranium is not used in it at all.