An evaluation of health risk to the public as a consequence of in situ uranium mining in Wyoming, USA

Abstract

In the United States there is considerable public concern regarding the health effects of in situ recovery uranium mining. These concerns focus principally on exposure to contaminants mobilized in groundwater by the mining process. However, the risk arising as a result of mining must be viewed in light of the presence of naturally occurring uranium ore and other constituents which comprise a latent hazard. The United States Environmental Protection Agency recently proposed new guidelines for successful restoration of an in situ uranium mine by limiting concentrations of thirteen groundwater constituents: arsenic, barium, cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury, selenium, silver, nitrate (as nitrogen), molybdenum, radium, total uranium, and gross α activity. We investigated the changes occurring to these constituents at an ISR uranium mine in Wyoming, USA by comparing groundwater quality at baseline measurement to that at stability (post-restoration) testing. Of the groundwater constituents considered, only uranium and radium-226 showed significant (p < 0.05) deviation from site-wide baseline conditions in matched-wells. Uranium concentrations increased by a factor of 5.6 (95% CI 3.6-8.9 times greater) while radium-226 decreased by a factor of about one half (95% CI 0.42-0.75 times less). Change in risk was calculated using the RESRAD (onsite) code for an individual exposed as a resident-farmer; total radiation dose to a resident farmer decreased from pre-to post-mining by about 5.2 mSv y(-1). Higher concentrations of uranium correspond to increased biomarkers of nephrotoxicity, however the clinical significance of this increase is unclear.

Chuan Huang Fang combining reduced glutathione in treating acute kidney injury (grades 1–2) on chronic kidney disease (stages 2–4): A multicenter randomized controlled clinical trial

“…As a consequence of AKI, a significant number of oxygen free radicals are produced, endogenous antioxidants are continually depleted, and high levels of inflammatory substances are secreted, all of which contribute to kidney damage progression ( Han and Lee, 2019 ). Moreover, A on C might be caused by the combination of multiple factors such as decreased prostaglandin synthesis, inflammatory reaction, oxidative stress, abnormal hemodynamics, and increases in the production of thromboxane by the kidney cortex ( Gong et al, 2012 ; Gong et al, 2014 ; Ruedig and Johnson, 2015 ; Barnett and Cummings, 2018 ). Despite the fact that the shift from AKI to CKD has previously been shown in multiple studies, researches of A on C is still in its infancy ( Sawhney and Fraser, 2017 ; Cooper et al, 2018 ; Bagshaw and Wald, 2021 ).…”

Efficacy and Safety of Chuan Huang Fang Combining Reduced Glutathione in Treating Acute Kidney Injury (Grades 1–2) on Chronic Kidney Disease (Stages 2–4): Study Protocol for a Multicenter Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

“…During the early period of AKI, renal blood flow insufficiency might lead to sub-fatal renal tubular injury, and the inflammatory mediators generated by the injury might lead to vasoconstriction and aggravate ischemia. In addition, A on C may be the result of combined effects of abnormal hemodynamics, inflammation, oxidative stress, decreased prostaglandin synthesis, and increased synthesis of thromboxane in renal cortex [15,[21][22][23].…”

A critical review on the occurrence and distribution of the uranium- and thorium-decay nuclides and their effect on the quality of groundwater

“…shown in Equation 1 and Figure 2. Ra in groundwater can also be derived from external U-and Th-rich sources, such as effluents from uranium mining (Carvalho et al, 2007;De Pree, 2020;Gil-Pacheco et al, 2020;Mangeret et al, 2020;Mathuthu et al, 2020;Matshusa and Makgae, 2017;Ruedig and Johnson, 2015), oil and gas wastewater (Agbalagba et al, 2013;Ahmad et al, 2021;Jaeschke et al, 2020;Knee and Masker, 2019;Lauer et al, 2018;Ni et al, 2018;Tomita et al, 2010;Van Sice et al, 2018;Vengosh et al, 2014;Warner et al, 2013), and deicing using oil-produced water (Lazur et al, 2020;McNaboe et al, 2017). Both Ra and U are enriched in phosphorite rocks, but during extraction and fertilizer production most of the Ra is incorporated in the solid waste product (phosphogysum), while U is enriched in the fertilizers (Al Attar et al, 2011;Barisic et al, 1992;Haridasan et al, 2002;Hassan et al, 2016;Lauria et al, 2004;Pearson et al, 2019;Sandhu et al, 2018).…”