Exposure of workers in mineral processing industries in Brazil

Lipsztein, J. L.; Cunha, Kenya Moore Dias da; Azeredo, A. M. G. F.; Julião, L. M. Q. C.; Santos, M.; Melo, Dunstana R.; Filho, Ferraz

doi:10.1016/s0265-931x(00)00174-0

Cited by 25 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…It has been observed that mining, milling and processing of uranium-and thorium-bearing minerals lead to enhanced radiation exposures not only to the workers but also to the inhabitants of the mining and processing sites (UNSCEAR, 2000;Lipsztein et al, 2001).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Uranium and thorium in soils, mineral sands, water and food samples in a tin mining area in Nigeria with elevated activity

Arogunjo

Höllriegl

Giussani

et al. 2009

Journal of Environmental Radioactivity

100

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Uranium and thorium in soils, mineral sands, water and food samples in a tin mining area in Nigeria with elevated activity

Arogunjo

Höllriegl

Giussani

et al. 2009

Journal of Environmental Radioactivity

100

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“…In some mines, thorium and uranium are the principal nuclides of concern in occupational radioprotection programs. In others, the main problem is radon exposure (Lipsztein et al 2001). We do not have data concerning radiation doses from other sources, like cosmic rays, 40 K, 232 Th, or anthropogenic sources, but the purpose of the present study is to evaluate potential DNA damage caused by chronic exposure to radiation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cytogenetic biomonitoring of inhabitants of a large uranium mineralization area: the municipalities of Monte Alegre, Prainha, and Alenquer, in the State of Pará, Brazil

et al. 2010

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Uranium is a natural radioactive metallic element; its effect on the organism is cumulative, and chronic exposure to this element can induce carcinogenesis. Three cities of the Amazon region-Monte Alegre, Prainha, and Alenquer-in North Brazil, are located in one of the largest uranium mineralization areas of the world. Radon is a radioactive gas, part of uranium decay series and readily diffuses through rock. In Monte Alegre, most of the houses are built of rocks removed from the Earth's crust in the forest, where the uranium reserves lie. The objective of the present work is to determine the presence or absence of genotoxicity and risk of carcinogenesis induced by natural exposure to uranium and radon in the populations of these three cities. The frequency of micronuclei (MN) and chromosomal aberrations (CA) showed no statistically significant differences between the control population and the three study populations (P > 0.05). MN was also analyzed using the fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) technique, with a centromere-specific probe. No clastogenic and/or aneugenic effects were found in the populations. Using FISH analysis, other carcinogenesis biomarkers were analyzed, but neither the presence of the IGH/BCL2 translocation nor an amplification of the MYC gene and 22q21 region was detected. Clastogenicity and DNA damage were also not found in the populations analyzed using the alkaline comet assay. The mitotic index showed no cytotoxicity in the analyzed individuals' lymphocytes. Once we do not have data concerning radiation doses from other sources, such as cosmic rays, potassium, thorium, or anthropogenic sources, it is hard to determine if uranium emissions in this geographic region where our study population lives are too low to cause significant DNA damage. Regardless, genetic analyses suggest that the radiation in our study area is not high enough to induce DNA alterations or to interfere with mitotic apparatus formation. It is also possible that damages caused by radiation doses undergo cellular repair.

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“…Previous studies developed in Brazilian mines show that the workers were exposure to mineral dust particles containing metals in the respirable fraction of aerosols and the inhalation was the main way of incorporation (Dias da Cunha et al 1998aCunha et al , b, 2002Lipsztein et al 2001). …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tantalum Dissolution Rate in Simulant Lung Fluid

Lima

Coelho

Dalia

et al. 2007

Water Air Soil Pollut

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The aim of this study is to determine the solubility rate of tantalum contained in pyrochlore, columbite-tantalite and columbite in simulant lung fluid. The International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP), in its recommendation for limiting intakes of radionuclide by workers, has consistently recognized that the biological behavior of any specific material after incorporation can significantly diverge from model prevision. Model parameters should be adjusted to adapt the model for each specific substance material in order to estimate the dose due to this element intake. The most recent ICRP publication 66, respiratory tract dosimetry model, point out that information as data like particle size, aerosols solubility and the material chemical compounds are important parameters in the dose coefficients calculation. This paper studies the solubility in Simulant Lung Fluid (SLF) of Ta present in mineral dust particles. For this study 3 minerals were selected: pyrochlore, columbite-tantalite and columbite. Tantalum dissolution in vitro samples were obtained using the Gamble solution and PIXE (Particle Induced X-ray Emission) as analytical technique. In order to characterize the worker exposure to Ta bearing particles, one Brazilian niobium mine was selected. The mineral dust particles were collected using a sixstage cascade impactor and the elemental mass concentrations and the MMAD (Mass Median Aerodynamic Diameter) were determined. Concentrations of radionuclides from natural series of thorium and uranium were also determined. The results show that the workers are exposed to Ta bearing particles in the respirable fraction of aerosols (aerodynamic diameter (d aer ) <2.5 μm) during the mineral processing to obtain Fe-Nb alloy. The solubility in Simulant Lung Fluid (SLF) of Ta present in mineral dust particles depends on the mineral characteristics. The solubility half-time varies between 34 and 62 h depending on the associated mineral.

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Exposure of workers in mineral processing industries in Brazil

Cited by 25 publications

References 7 publications

Uranium and thorium in soils, mineral sands, water and food samples in a tin mining area in Nigeria with elevated activity

Uranium and thorium in soils, mineral sands, water and food samples in a tin mining area in Nigeria with elevated activity

Cytogenetic biomonitoring of inhabitants of a large uranium mineralization area: the municipalities of Monte Alegre, Prainha, and Alenquer, in the State of Pará, Brazil

Tantalum Dissolution Rate in Simulant Lung Fluid

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