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(last updated 4 Feb 2017)
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"As part of an ongoing study of health effects in a pooled cohort of gaseous diffusion plant workers, organ dose from internal exposure to uranium was evaluated. Due to the introduction of recycled uranium into the plants, there was also potential for exposure to radiologically significant levels of 99Tc, 237Np and 238,239Pu. In the evaluation of dose response, these radionuclide exposures could confound the effect of internal uranium. Using urine bioassay data for study subjects reported in facility records, intakes and absorbed dose to bone surface, red bone marrow and kidneys were estimated as these organs were associated with a priori outcomes of interest. Additionally, 99Tc intakes and doses were calculated using a new systemic model for technetium and compared to intakes and doses calculated using the current model recommended by the International Commission on Radiological Protection. Organ absorbed doses for the transuranics were significant compared to uranium doses; however, 99Tc doses calculated using the new systemic model were significant as well. Use of the new model resulted in an increase in 99Tc-related absorbed organ dose of a factor of 8 (red bone marrow) to 30 (bone surface)."Exposure to Recycled Uranium Contaminants in Gaseous Diffusion Plants, by Anderson JL, Apostoaei AI, Yiin JH, et al., in: Radiation Protection Dosimetry, aheadofprint, Jan. 16, 2017
"BACKGROUND: This article presents the mortality data compiled among a cohort of workers at risk of internal uranium exposure and discusses the extent to which this exposure might differentiate them from other nuclear workers.Effets de la contamination chronique à l'uranium sur la mortalité: bilan d'une étude-pilote chez les travailleurs de l'industrie nucléaire en France [Effects of chronic uranium internal exposure on mortality: Results of a pilot study among French nuclear workers], by Guseva Canu, I; Zhivin, S; Garsi, J-P; et al., in: Revue d'Épidémiologie et de Santé Publique, Vol. 62, No. 6 (Dec. 2014), p. 339-350
METHODS: The cohort consisted of 2897 Areva-NC-Pierrelatte plant workers, followed from 1st January 1968 through 31st December 2006 (79,892 person-years). [...]
RESULTS: [...] A significant exposure-effect relationship was observed for slowly soluble uranium, particularly RPU [reprocessed uranium], which was associated with an increase in mortality risk reaching 8 to 16 % per unit of cumulative exposure score and 10 to 15 % per year of exposure duration."
"RESULTS: We observed that exposure to reprocessed uranium entails increasing risks of mortality from lung cancer and lymphatic and hematopoietic malignancies (the most significant hazard ratio being respectively 1.14 (95% CI: 1.00-1.31) and 1.20 (95% CI: 1.01-1.43) per unit of a time-lagged log-transformed continuous exposure scores), and that the hazard ratios tend to increase with decreasing solubility of the compounds."Uranium carcinogenicity in humans might depend on the physical and chemical nature of uranium and its isotopic composition: results from pilot epidemiological study of French nuclear workers, by Guseva Canu I, Jacob S, Cardis E, et al., in: Cancer causes & control
"This study investigated the risk of lung cancer in regards to protracted occupational exposure to reprocessed uranium compounds. Two thousand seven hundred and nine male workers employed at the AREVA NC uranium processing plant between 1960 and 2005 in France were included in the cohort.Reprocessed uranium exposure and lung cancer risk, by Canu IG, Jacob S, Cardis E, et al., in: Health Physics
[...] The relative risk of lung cancer tended to increase with decreasing solubility of reprocessed uranium compounds. The highest - though not statistically significant - relative risk was observed among workers exposed to slowly soluble reprocessed uranium dioxide.
This study is the first suggesting an increasing risk of lung cancer associated with exposure to reprocessed uranium. Our results are consistent with data from experimental studies of biokinetics and the action mechanism of slowly soluble uranium compounds, but need to be confirmed in larger studies with more detailed dose-response analyses. "
"Accidental exposure by inhalation to alpha-emitting particles from mixed oxide (MOX: uranium and plutonium oxide) fuels is a potential long-term health risk to workers in nuclear fuel fabrication plants. For MOX fuels, the risk of lung cancer development may be different from that assigned to individual components (plutonium, uranium) given different physico-chemical characteristics. The objective of this study was to investigate late effects in rat lungs following inhalation of MOX aerosols of similar particle size containing 2.5 or 7.1% plutonium.Late-occurring pulmonary pathologies following inhalation of mixed oxide (uranium + plutonium oxide) aerosol in the rat, by Griffiths N M, Van der Meeren A, Fritsch P, et al., in: Health Physics
[...] In conclusion, late effects following MOX inhalation result in similar risk for development of lung tumors as compared with industrial plutonium oxide. "
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