Who We Are
The International Depleted Uranium Study Team (IDUST) is a Non Governmental Organization (NGO) of global researchers, activists, and scientists dedicated to a single, urgent goal: stopping the use of Depleted Uranium (DU) in military weapons. Building on over 25 years of boots-on-the-ground advocacy, IDUST leverages deep expertise to drive international alliance-building, education, research, and outreach.
The Threat of Depleted Uranium
Despite its name, “depleted” uranium is a highly toxic heavy metal that retains over half the radioactivity of pure uranium, carrying a half-life of 4.5 billion years. Since the dawn of the nuclear age, it has accumulated in enormous quantities in military arsenals, posing a severe, permanent threat to global human health and the environment.
Our Mission
Our mission is to expose the devastating realities of DU weapons and demand the enforcement of existing international humanitarian and human rights laws that prohibit their use. We execute a comprehensive, global strategy to completely eliminate this highly toxic and radioactive material from military arsenals worldwide.
- Education: We conduct speaking tours, host seminars, and provide accessible digital resources to expose the severe health and environmental realities of DU contamination.
- Organization: We build dedicated local, national, and international IDUST chapters, creating vital forums for community exchange and grassroots action.
- Research: We actively investigate the “Depleted Uranium Industry and Money in Politics,” the specific impacts of “Depleted Uranium on Indigenous Lands,” and the ongoing “Global Proliferation of Depleted Uranium.”
- Health Advocacy: We champion independent health and environmental studies in communities across the globe that have been devastated by DU contamination.
- Legislation: We fiercely advocate for local legislation to mandate testing for returning troops and fund the remediation of contaminated areas, while simultaneously pushing to establish international laws that halt the use of DU completely.