Rathod Abhisha M, Verpaele Steven, Kelvin Michelle, Sullivan Kaj V, Leybourne Matthew I
Department of Geoscience and Geological Engineering, Queen's University, 99 University Avenue, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada.
Arthur B. McDonald Canadian Astroparticle Physics Research Institute, Queen's University, 64 Bader Lane, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada.
Environ Geochem Health. 2023 May;45(5):1183-1200. doi: 10.1007/s10653-022-01293-x. Epub 2022 Jun 16.
Uranium is chemo- and radiotoxic element which can cause multifactorial health hazards. Natural and anthropogenic uranium contamination raises concerns about potential public health problems. Natural contamination plays a significant role with regard to uranium exposure in the general population, whereas anthropogenic contamination leads to occupational uranium exposure, particularly in nuclear industry workers. In this review, we present a state-of-the-art status concerning uranium-induced health risks with a focus on epidemiological findings of uranium processing and enrichment plant workers. We provide a general overview of physicochemical properties of uranium and analytical methods for measuring or monitoring uranium, describe environmental and occupational exposure scenarios, and discuss the challenges for objectively investigating risks from uranium exposure.
铀是一种具有化学毒性和辐射毒性的元素，可导致多方面的健康危害。天然和人为的铀污染引发了对潜在公共卫生问题的担忧。就一般人群的铀暴露而言，天然污染起着重要作用，而人为污染则导致职业性铀暴露，尤其是在核工业工人中。在本综述中，我们介绍了铀诱发健康风险的最新状况，重点关注铀加工和浓缩厂工人的流行病学研究结果。我们概述了铀的物理化学性质以及测量或监测铀的分析方法，描述了环境和职业暴露情况，并讨论了客观调查铀暴露风险所面临的挑战。
