Uranium is radioactive and toxic. The risk is dependent from the chemical form (oxyde, solution, metal, fluorides, etc.), physical form (metal, sintered oxyde, powders, aerosols, liquids), enrichment, irradiated or not; also importants are the radioactive descendents of uranium, especially the gas radon.
Processing of uranium can be dangerous only if the safety precautions are not observed or in the case of an unavoidable accident.
Disadvantages of uranium: 1. Uranium is a possible polluting agent of the natural environment. 2. Uranium is a toxic and a radioactive chemical element. 3. Uranium release radium and radon. 4. Radioactive wastes are dangerous and need to be isolated.
See the link below for a MSDS of uranium tetrafluoride. Uranium tetrafluoride is dangerous: radioactive, toxic, corrosive; can affect eyes, skin and lungs (after inhalation).
The simple exposure to natural uranium is not so dangerous because the gamma radiation emitted is not so energetic and also it is auto-absorbed in the uranium material. The danger is to inhale or to ingest uranium compounds.
The radioactivity of natural uranium is not so important. The external irradiation is very low. But the internal irradiation is dangerous: alpha radiations from inhaled uranium, radium and radon (Ra and Rn released by decay from U) can destroy pulmonary alveoli and cause lung cancers. Also the ingestion is dangerous because soluble salts of uranium are toxic.
No, because it can be extremely dangerous, even used in a nuclear weapon. The uranium trade is made under the control of International Atomic Energy Agency Safeguards. Uranium is not so dangerous. Lead, cadmium or mercury are, for example, more dangerous. Now nuclear weapons have plutonium as fissionable material, not with uranium.
For example lung cancers, from uranium (and the daughters radium and radon).
The alpha radiation of uranium and radon (evolved from uranium) can destroy the pulmonary alveoli inducing a lung cancer.
It is Uranium Hexafluoride but known in the industry simple as HEX
The external irradiation from uranium is not so dangerous; but the internal irradiation after inhaling powders or liquid aerosols is very dangerous. Note that the decay chain of uranium contain radium and radon, more radioactive than uranium. The respect of working rules is extremely important.
Actinium is generally considered to be more dangerous than uranium because it is a stronger emitter of radiation. Exposure to actinium can pose a higher risk of radiation poisoning and adverse health effects compared to uranium.
The normal human body contain uranium but only in traces.These traces of U are not dangerous.