Uranium in drinking water: a public health threat

Bjørklund, Geir; Semenova, Yuliya; Pivina, L; Dadar, Maryam; Rahman, Mostafizur; Aaseth, Jan; Chirumbolo, Salvatore

doi:10.1007/s00204-020-02676-8

Cited by 126 publications

(41 citation statements)

References 90 publications

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“…The majority of current research suggests that chemical toxicity from the intake of small quantities of uranium through contaminated drinking water may cause damage to the cardiovascular system and kidneys (Hon et al 2015;Ali et al 2019). Chronic exposure to even small amounts of uranium may be associated with some cancers and, at high exposure levels, kidney disease (Bjørklund et al 2020). A preliminary overview of several potential health outcomes from ingested uranium via drinking water from human studies is reviewed below and in Table 1.…”

Section: Health Effects Of Uraniummentioning

confidence: 99%

Uranium Exposure in American Indian Communities: Health, Policy, and the Way Forward

Redvers

Chischilly²,

Warne

et al. 2021

Environ Health Perspect

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Background: Uranium contamination of drinking-water sources on American Indian (AI) reservations in the United States is a largely ignored and underfunded public health crisis. With an estimated 40% of the headwaters in the western U.S. watershed, home to many AI reservation communities, being contaminated with untreated mine waste, the potential health effects have largely been unexplored. With AI populations already facing continued and progressive economic and social marginalization, higher prevalence of chronic disease, and systemic discrimination, associations between various toxicant exposures, including uranium, and various chronic conditions, need further examination. Objectives: Uranium’s health effects, in addition to considerations for uranium drinking-water testing, reporting, and mitigation in reference to AI communities through the lens of water quality, is reviewed. Discussion: A series of environmental health policy recommendations are described with the intent to proactively improve responsiveness to the water quality crisis in AI reservation communities in the United States specific to uranium. There is a serious and immediate need for better coordination of uranium-related drinking-water testing and reporting on reservations in the United States that will better support and guide best practices for uranium mitigation efforts. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP7537

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Section: Health Effects Of Uraniummentioning

confidence: 99%

Uranium Exposure in American Indian Communities: Health, Policy, and the Way Forward

Redvers

Chischilly²,

Warne

et al. 2021

Environ Health Perspect

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show abstract

“…High uranium exposures occur mostly in some occupational settings, typically for workers from uranium processing industries but also from phosphate fertilizer industry. Noteworthy, relatively high chronic exposure levels may also be found in geographical areas with elevated levels of naturally occurring uranium (Frisbie et al, 2009;Frisbie et al, 2013;Bjørklund et al, 2017;Bjørklund et al, 2020). Regardless the route of exposure, a small amount of uranium is able to reach the brain and may exert neurotoxic effects (Fitsanakis et al, 2006;Houpert et al, 2007;Dinocourt et al, 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cytoplasmic aggregation of uranium in human dopaminergic cells after continuous exposure to soluble uranyl at non-cytotoxic concentrations

et al. 2021

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Uranium exposure can lead to neurobehavioral alterations in particular of the monoaminergic system, even at non-cytotoxic concentrations. However, the mechanisms of uranium neurotoxicity after noncytotoxic exposure are still poorly understood. In particular, imaging uranium in neurons at low intracellular concentration is still very challenging. We investigated uranium intracellular localization by means of synchrotron X-ray fluorescence imaging with high spatial resolution (< 300 nm) and high analytical sensitivity (< 1 µg.g-1 per 300 nm pixel). Neuron-like SH-SY5Y human cells differentiated into a dopaminergic phenotype were continuously exposed, for seven days, to a non-cytotoxic concentration (10 μM) of soluble natural uranyl. Cytoplasmic submicron uranium aggregates were observed accounting on average for 62% of the intracellular uranium content. In some aggregates, uranium and iron were co-localized suggesting common metabolic pathways between uranium and iron storage. Uranium aggregates contained no calcium or phosphorous indicating that detoxification mechanisms in neuron-like cells are different from those described in bone or kidney cells. Uranium intracellular distribution was compared to fluorescently labeled organelles (lysosomes, early and late endosomes) and to fetuin-A, a high affinity uranium-binding protein. A strict correlation could not be evidenced between uranium and the labelled organelles, or with vesicles containing fetuin-A. Our results indicate a new mechanism of uranium cytoplasmic aggregation after non-cytotoxic uranyl exposure that could be involved in neuronal defense through uranium sequestration into less reactive species. The remaining soluble fraction of uranium would be responsible for protein binding and the resulting neurotoxic effects.

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“…As a non-essential trace metal and radionuclide, U can be highly toxic due to both its chemical (speciation) and radiological (isotopic composition) properties, and exposure to U through drinking water is associated with nephrotoxic effects (Bjørklund et al, 2020;Pinney et al, 2003).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Transport and speciation of uranium in groundwater-surface water systems impacted by legacy milling operations

Byrne

Fuller

Naftz

et al. 2021

Science of The Total Environment

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Uranium in drinking water: a public health threat

Cited by 126 publications

References 90 publications

Uranium Exposure in American Indian Communities: Health, Policy, and the Way Forward

Uranium Exposure in American Indian Communities: Health, Policy, and the Way Forward

Cytoplasmic aggregation of uranium in human dopaminergic cells after continuous exposure to soluble uranyl at non-cytotoxic concentrations

Transport and speciation of uranium in groundwater-surface water systems impacted by legacy milling operations

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