State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; School of Environment, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
Environ Int. 2020 Dec;145:106107. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2020.106107. Epub 2020 Sep 12.
Uranium contamination is a global health concern. Regarding natural or anthropogenic uranium contamination, the major sources of concern are groundwater, mining, phosphate fertilizers, nuclear facilities, and military activities. Many epidemiological and laboratory studies have demonstrated that environmental and occupational uranium exposure can induce multifarious health problems. Uranium exposure may cause health risks because of its chemotoxicity and radiotoxicity in natural or anthropogenic scenarios: the former is generally thought to play a more significant role with regard to the natural uranium exposure, and the latter is more relevant to enriched uranium exposure. The understanding of the health risks and underlying toxicological mechanisms of uranium remains at a preliminary stage, and many controversial findings require further research. In order to present state-of-the-art status in this field, this review will primarily focus on the chemotoxicity of uranium, rather than its radiotoxicity, as well as the involved toxicological mechanisms. First, the natural or anthropogenic uranium contamination scenarios will be briefly summarized. Second, the health risks upon natural uranium exposure, for example, nephrotoxicity, bone toxicity, reproductive toxicity, hepatotoxicity, neurotoxicity, and pulmonary toxicity, will be discussed based on the reported epidemiological cases and laboratory studies. Third, the recent advances regarding the toxicological mechanisms of uranium-induced chemotoxicity will be highlighted, including oxidative stress, genetic damage, protein impairment, inflammation, and metabolic disorder. Finally, the gaps and challenges in the knowledge of uranium-induced chemotoxicity and underlying mechanisms will be discussed.
铀污染是一个全球性的健康问题。无论是自然的还是人为的铀污染，主要的关注点都是地下水、采矿、磷肥、核设施和军事活动。许多流行病学和实验室研究表明，环境和职业性铀暴露会导致多种健康问题。铀暴露可能会带来健康风险，因为它在自然或人为环境中具有化学毒性和放射性毒性：前者通常被认为在自然铀暴露中起着更重要的作用，而后者与浓缩铀暴露更相关。对于铀的健康风险和潜在的毒理学机制的认识仍处于初步阶段，许多有争议的发现需要进一步研究。为了呈现该领域的最新现状，本综述将主要关注铀的化学毒性，而不是放射性毒性，以及涉及的毒理学机制。首先，简要总结自然或人为的铀污染情况。其次，根据已报道的流行病学案例和实验室研究，讨论自然铀暴露的健康风险，例如肾毒性、骨毒性、生殖毒性、肝毒性、神经毒性和肺毒性。第三，强调铀诱导化学毒性的毒理学机制的最新进展，包括氧化应激、遗传损伤、蛋白质损伤、炎症和代谢紊乱。最后，讨论铀诱导化学毒性和潜在机制的知识差距和挑战。
