What are the Human Health Effects associated with Uranium Exposure?
Answer:
Below is a list of health effects which have been associated with exposure to high levels of Uranium. Only those conditions which have been identified by testing on humans are included, although there has been additional extensive animal testing which has identified other possible side-effects to Uranium exposure.
For a humans health to be affected by Uranium, it is believed that it must be absorbed through eating, drinking, or breathing it in, or through contact with the skin. The major issue with DU being dropped over Iraq, Afghanistan and the Balkans, is that when these bombs are set off over large population centres, they can contaminate large areas of land and air.
Scientific Study
Effects Found By Testing On Humans
Renal system
McDiarmid et al. 2000
Elevated levels of protein excretion, urinary catalase and diuresis
Brain/Central Nervous System
McDiarmid et al. 2000
Decreased performance on neurocognitive tests
Bone/muscle
No studies done on humans
Reproductive system
Muller et al. 1967
Uranium minors have more first born female children
Lungs/respiratory toxicity
Polednak et al. 1982
No adverse health effects reported
Gastrointestinal system
Stopps & Todd 1982 /
Wrenn et al. 1985
Vomiting, diarrhea, albuminuria
Liver
Lu & Zhao 1990
No effects seen at exposure dose
Skin
ATSDR 1999
No exposure assessment data available
Tissues
(surrounding
embedded DU fragments)
McDiarmid et al. 2000
Elevated uranium urine concentrations
Immune system
Korenyi-Both & Juncer 1997
Chronic fatigue, rash, ear and eye infections, hair and weight loss, cough. May be due to combined chemical exposure rather than DU alone
Eyes
No studies done on humans
Blood
No studies done on humans
Cardiovascular system
Hartmann et al. 2000 /
Lu & Zhao 1990
Myocarditis resulting from the uranium ingestion, which ended 6 months after ingestion (Hartmann), no effects (Lu & Zhao)
Depleted Uranium is a by-product which is produced when we make fuel for nuclear power reactors, and also when we make nuclear bombs. There is no safe way to dispose of this waste product, so we generally store it underwater or underground in containers. Western forces have also dropped a whole lot of DU over Iraq, Afghanistan and the Balkans
We still do not have a clear picture as to how badly we have already polluted the World. With a growing awareness of corporations being much more interested in profit, than in our environment or health, we must get an overall picture, and we must also find a 100% safe way of storing our most harmful types of waste
The latest figures from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) tells us that around 13-14% of the World's energy was produced by nuclear plants during 2009, continuing the slight downward trend on production of nuclear power (as a % of total energy production). In total 28 nations produce nuclear energy, and 16 have plants under construction
There are currently nine nations which hold operational nuclear warheads (United States, Russia, France, China, United Kingdom, Israel, Pakistan, India, North Korea), and the United States also loans them out to Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Turkey, through a NATO-approved 'Nuclear Sharing' scheme
"Depleted & Natural Uranium: Chemistry & Toxicological Effects" - see "Compilation of Current Information Regarding Uranium Toxicity on Various Body Systems", at bottom of page. First published in the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health in 2004.
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