The United States Armed Forces used depleted uranium munitions and armor for the first time during the Gulf War. Depleted uranium s ability to protect our soldiers lives was clearly demonstrated. Armor containing depleted uranium is very effective at blunting antitank weapons. Based on the scientific evidence developed so far, the report concludes it is unlikely that depleted uranium exposure is a cause of the undiagnosed illnesses some Gulf War veterans are experiencing. This conclusion is supported by a recent Institute of Medicine review of the scientific literature relating to depleted uranium.
All soil contains uranium.
In normal soil, it's not unusual to find a ton of natural uranium per square kilometer. She agrees that in a battle zone much of the depleted uranium ammunition, which strikes hard targets such as tanks, will be dispersed in fine aerosol particles and settle over the ground. If you work in an industry that uses uranium, you're allowed concentrations in the air of 0.2 of a milligram per cubic meter, which means in a work day you might inhale two milligrams. When you breathe it in, you breathe in some uranium, but the risk is so low it's very hard to calculate. You can't inhale it, you can't ingest it.