Nature & Environment
Death By Plants? US Army Wants To Develop Biodegradable Bullets To Help The Environment
Alex Davis
First Posted: Jan 17, 2017 04:00 AM EST
As many would know, bullets are made to kill people, especially during wars. Not only that but they can also kill plants and wildlife because of their metallic compound. Thus, proposals were asked for the design of biodegradable bullets.
The U.S. Army and other training facilities usually use live ammunition to prepare their soldiers for combat. However, the bullets just remain in the wild and cause damages to the environment.
Now, officials want to stop these damages to the environment. They are now asking for proposals to design bullets that are biodegradable. In that case, these can no longer harm the environment.
Not only that the bullets will be eco-friendly but they are also aiming that the bullets will contain seeds. Also, the bullets will be specialized for each local environment, so that it can "grow environmentally beneficial plants that eliminate ammunition debris and contaminants."
The goal is that not only will new plants grow out of the bullets but these will also help suck out hazardous chemicals from the surrounding environment. Given that it is an ambitious concept, but it will be soon become a reality having the technology today.
According to the official request, this kind of bullet shell has already been tested. It also stated that, "The US Army Corps of Engineers' Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) has demonstrated bioengineered seeds that can be embedded into the biodegradable composites and that will not germinate until they have been on the ground for several months," according to IFL Science.
In line with this, the proposals are being accepted until Feb. 8, and the winner will be asked to produce and test the biodegradable bullets. Thus, it has been pointed out that the bullets are quite large, ranging from 40 mm varieties (essentially grenades) all the way to 120 mm mortar and tank rounds, and all the way to 155 mm artillery rounds, according to Live Science.
Meanwhile, there are still a handful of challenges in making this. The bullets need to be fired up from a real weapon. But, if the project would be successful, it would help the environment, a lot.
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First Posted: Jan 17, 2017 04:00 AM EST
As many would know, bullets are made to kill people, especially during wars. Not only that but they can also kill plants and wildlife because of their metallic compound. Thus, proposals were asked for the design of biodegradable bullets.
The U.S. Army and other training facilities usually use live ammunition to prepare their soldiers for combat. However, the bullets just remain in the wild and cause damages to the environment.
Now, officials want to stop these damages to the environment. They are now asking for proposals to design bullets that are biodegradable. In that case, these can no longer harm the environment.
Not only that the bullets will be eco-friendly but they are also aiming that the bullets will contain seeds. Also, the bullets will be specialized for each local environment, so that it can "grow environmentally beneficial plants that eliminate ammunition debris and contaminants."
The goal is that not only will new plants grow out of the bullets but these will also help suck out hazardous chemicals from the surrounding environment. Given that it is an ambitious concept, but it will be soon become a reality having the technology today.
According to the official request, this kind of bullet shell has already been tested. It also stated that, "The US Army Corps of Engineers' Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) has demonstrated bioengineered seeds that can be embedded into the biodegradable composites and that will not germinate until they have been on the ground for several months," according to IFL Science.
In line with this, the proposals are being accepted until Feb. 8, and the winner will be asked to produce and test the biodegradable bullets. Thus, it has been pointed out that the bullets are quite large, ranging from 40 mm varieties (essentially grenades) all the way to 120 mm mortar and tank rounds, and all the way to 155 mm artillery rounds, according to Live Science.
Meanwhile, there are still a handful of challenges in making this. The bullets need to be fired up from a real weapon. But, if the project would be successful, it would help the environment, a lot.
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone