A review of the environmental corrosion, fate and bioavailability of munitions grade depleted uranium

Handley-Sidhu, Stephanie; Keith-Roach, Miranda J.; Lloyd, Jonathan R.; Vaughan, David J.

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2010.08.028

Cited by 78 publications

(68 citation statements)

References 53 publications

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“…The upper continental crust averages estimated by several authors range from 1.55 to 2.8 mg U kg − 1 (Gao et al, 1998;Hu and Gao, 2008;Taylor, 1964;Taylor and McLennan, 1995), whereas the U concentrations in uncontaminated soils worldwide vary between 1.9-4.4 mg kg − 1 (Kabata-Pendias, 2011) and the mean world concentration estimated by Reimann and Caritat (1998) is 2.7 mg kg − 1 . However, excessive amounts of uranium have been released into the environment through the activities associated with the nuclear industry (e.g., Bai et al, 2010;Benedict et al, 1981) and many other anthropogenic sources, such as mining and milling operations, disposal and discharge of industrial waste and effluent, disposal of medical waste, military applications, and the use of phosphate fertilizer in agricultural land (e.g., Campbell et al, 2015;Handley-Sidhu et al, 2010;Kratz and Schnug, 2006;Merkel, 2006;Schnug et al, 2005).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biogeochemistry of uranium in the soil-plant and water-plant systems in an old uranium mine

Favas

Pratas

Mitra

et al. 2016

Science of The Total Environment

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biogeochemistry of uranium in the soil-plant and water-plant systems in an old uranium mine

Favas

Pratas

Mitra

et al. 2016

Science of The Total Environment

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“…For instance, average uranium levels in drinking water are in microgram-per-liter range (0.4 μ g/L throughout the world, [3]; 6.7 μ g/L in USA, [4]; 4 μ g/L in Canada [5]; 2.2 μ g/L in China [6]; or 2.22 μ g/L in France [7], but they may reach exceptionally the milligram-per-liter range in some specific areas, including some US states (2.5 mg/L [4]; 7.8 mg/L [8]) or southern Finland (9.2 mg/L [9]; 3.4 mg/L [10]). Anthropogenic utilization of uranium for civil, military, and nuclear fuel purposes leads to additional release of this radio element into environment, either around uranium mining sites [11, 12], uranium reprocessing plants [13], or following the use of depleted uranium (DU) in conflict zones [11, 14]. The persistent use of depleted uranium in weapon composition in the recent conflicts (Iraq in 1991 and 2001, Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1995, and Kosovo in 1999) continues to keep the scientific and social queries concerning the environmental contamination by such metal, as well as subsequent human exposure and possible consequences on health.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Unexpected Lack of Deleterious Effects of Uranium on Physiological Systems following a Chronic Oral Intake in Adult Rat

Dublineau

Souidi

Guéguen

et al. 2014

BioMed Research International

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Uranium level in drinking water is usually in the range of microgram-per-liter, but this value may be as much as 100 to 1000 times higher in some areas, which may raise question about the health consequences for human populations living in these areas. Our purpose was to improve knowledge of chemical effects of uranium following chronic ingestion. Experiments were performed on rats contaminated for 9 months via drinking water containing depleted uranium (0.2, 2, 5, 10, 20, 40, or 120 mg/L). Blood biochemical and hematological indicators were measured and several different types of investigations (molecular, functional, and structural) were conducted in organs (intestine, liver, kidneys, hematopoietic cells, and brain). The specific sensitivity of the organs to uranium was deduced from nondeleterious biological effects, with the following thresholds (in mg/L): 0.2 for brain, >2 for liver, >10 for kidneys, and >20 for intestine, indicating a NOAEL (No-Observed-Adverse-Effect Level) threshold for uranium superior to 120 m g/L. Based on the chemical uranium toxicity, the tolerable daily intake calculation yields a guideline value for humans of 1350 μg/L. This value was higher than the WHO value of 30 μg/L, indicating that this WHO guideline for uranium content in drinking water is very protective and might be reconsidered.

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“…DU munitions, DU shrapnel, and the uranium oxides that form upon burning will dissolve in the environment [9, 24], in simulated gastrointestinal fluid [25], and in vivo [14, 15, 26]. Therefore, understanding the toxicology of soluble uranium may provide relevant insight into all long-term uranium exposures.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Analysis of heat-labile sites generated by reactions of depleted uranium and ascorbate in plasmid DNA

et al. 2013

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The goal of this study was to characterize how depleted uranium (DU) causes DNA damage. Procedures were developed to assess the ability of organic and inorganic DNA adducts to convert to single strand breaks (SSB) in pBR322 plasmid DNA in the presence of heat or piperidine. DNA adducts formed by methyl methanesulfonate (MMS), cis-platin (cis-Pt), and chromic chloride were compared to those formed by reaction of uranyl acetate (UA) and ascorbate (Asc). Uranyl ion in the presence of Asc produced U-DNA adducts that converted to SSB upon heating. Piperidine, which acted on DNA methylated by MMS to convert methyl-DNA adducts to SSB, served in the opposite fashion with U-DNA adducts by decreasing SSB. The observation that piperidine also decreased the gel shift for metal-DNA adducts formed by monofunctional cis-Pt and chromic chloride was interpreted to suggest that piperidine served to remove U-DNA adducts. Radical scavengers did not affect formation of U-induced SSB, suggesting that SSB arose from the presence of U-DNA adducts and not from free radicals. A model is proposed to predict how U-DNA adducts may serve as initial lesions that convert to SSB or AP sites. Results suggest that DU can act as a chemical genotoxin that does not require radiation for its mode of action. Characterizing the DNA lesions formed by DU is necessary to assess the relative importance of different DNA lesions in the formation of DU-induced mutations. Understanding mechanisms of formation of DU-induced mutations may contribute to identification of biomarkers of DU exposures in humans.

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A review of the environmental corrosion, fate and bioavailability of munitions grade depleted uranium

Cited by 78 publications

References 53 publications

Biogeochemistry of uranium in the soil-plant and water-plant systems in an old uranium mine

Biogeochemistry of uranium in the soil-plant and water-plant systems in an old uranium mine

Unexpected Lack of Deleterious Effects of Uranium on Physiological Systems following a Chronic Oral Intake in Adult Rat

Analysis of heat-labile sites generated by reactions of depleted uranium and ascorbate in plasmid DNA

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