Q&A on Slovakia's uranium arrests

The Associated Press    Translate This Article
29 November 2007

Slovakia's arrests of three men who allegedly tried to sell contraband uranium for $1 million show how a shadowy black market for nuclear components has survived. Here are some questions and answers about uranium.

WHAT IS URANIUM?

Uranium is a naturally occurring radioactive element. It is usually found in extremely small quantities and is relatively harmless in that form because it gives off only a small amount of radiation.

HOW CAN IT BE TURNED INTO A WEAPON?

Naturally occurring uranium is a mixture of three types, or isotopes: uranium-234, uranium-235, and uranium-238. Uranium needs to be enriched before it can be used to generate power or build a weapon. That enrichment process involves increasing the amount of uranium-235 present in the material. Uranium needs to be about 4 percent uranium-235 for use in a nuclear reactor, and it is considered weapons-grade if it contains at least 85 percent uranium-235.

Police say a preliminary investigation has shown that the uranium powder found in connection with the Slovakia arrests contained 98.6 percent uranium-235. But nuclear experts shown police photographs of radioactivity readings contended the material was probably not as dangerous as authorities believe.

WHO PRODUCES URANIUM?

Nearly 45,000 U.S. tons of uranium was mined worldwide in 2006, according to the World Nuclear Association, a London-based trade body which represents the civilian nuclear industry. More than half of the world's production of uranium comes from mines in Canada, Australia and Kazakhstan. The United States, Russia, Namibia and Niger are also major producers.

WHO HAS ACCESS TO HIGHLY ENRICHED URANIUM?

Highly enriched uranium and plutonium exist in more than 40 countries around the world, according to Matthew Bunn, a senior researcher at Harvard University's Project on Managing the Atom. Bunn said that while such security is particularly lacking in Russia, the problem is universal. ``In pretty much every country more security is needed,'' he said.

HOW EASY IS IT TO SMUGGLE?

Because uranium emits a form of radiation that cannot penetrate skin, and is much less radioactive than the polonium used to poison former KGB spy Alexander Litvinenko in London last year, it can be stored and transported with little or no safety measures. Putting it in a lead-lined container would make it difficult or impossible to detect even with the most advanced equipment.

IS THE MATERIAL CONNECTED WITH THE SLOVAKIA ARRESTS DANGEROUS?

Police said they have found enough material to make a radiological ``dirty bomb,'' but experts say highly enriched uranium is an unlikely candidate for such a weapon. Dirty bombs can be made from much more easily available radioactive materials found in hospitals, industrial plants or agricultural facilities, and uranium is not very toxic when dispersed in the air. ``Only idiots and scam artists think of selling highly enriched uranium as part of a dirty bomb,'' said David Albright, president of the Institute for Science and International Security in Washington.

WHAT IF IT WERE PART OF A LARGER DEAL?

Smuggling uranium enriched to such a high level could point to an attempt to collect material for use in a nuclear weapon, said Alexander Glaser, a researcher at Princeton University's Program in Science and Global Security. ``Even if you recover very small quantities, this might be a sign that a transaction is being prepared,'' said Glaser. ``Like with drug dealers, they bring a sample to check the quality and then arrange for a sale.''

CAN THE URANIUM BE TRACED?

Uranium undergoes several transformations as it is concentrated and enriched, and certain processes can leave specific signatures. Scientists can theoretically use those signatures to track where the uranium was manufactured and how it was enriched. Albright said the extremely high level of enrichment—if confirmed—could help investigators narrow the range of possible sources. But tracing the uranium could take months, and, in the case of weapons-grade material, following its path could be politically fraught.

Copyright © 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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