Depleted uranium turns earthworms into glowworms

Worms are a crucial part of the ecosystem, aerating the soil and aiding the nutrient uptake of plants. If they are contaminated, it suggests the wider environment is tainted. . . .

Depleted uranium is used to make hard tips for armour-piercing rounds. When they explode, the uranium turns into a fine powder which is carried on the wind for miles around. In Iraq and Kosovo, the use of the shells has been blamed for horrific birth defects as well as being implicated in causing Gulf war syndrome.