Journal article
Uranium bone content as an indicator of chronic environmental exposure from drinking water
Journal of environmental radioactivity, Vol.121, pp.98-103
07/2013
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/103870
PMID: 22703996
Abstract
Uranium (U) is an ubiquitous radioelement found in drinking water and food. As a consequence of its prevalence, most humans ingest a few micrograms (μg) of this element daily. It is incorporated in various organs and tissues. Several studies have demonstrated that ingested U is deposited mainly in bones. Therefore, U skeletal content could be considered as a prime indicator for low-level chronic intake. In this study, 71 archived vertebrae bone samples collected in seven Canadian cities were subjected to digestion and U analysis by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. These results were correlated with U concentrations in municipal drinking water supplies, with the data originating from historical studies performed by Health Canada. A strong relationship (r2 = 0.97) was observed between the averaged U total skeletal content and averaged drinking water concentration, supporting the hypothesis that bones are indeed a good indicator of U intake. Using a PowerBASIC compiler to process an ICRP systemic model for U (ICRP, 1995a), U total skeletal content was estimated using two gastrointestinal tract absorption factors (ƒ1 = 0.009 and 0.03). Comparisons between observed and modelled skeletal contents as a function of U intake from drinking water tend to demonstrate that neither of the ƒ1 values can adequately estimate observed values. An ƒ1value of 0.009 provides a realistic estimate for intake resulting from food consumption only (6.72 μg) compared to experimental data (7.4 ± 0.8 μg), whereas an ƒ1value of 0.03 tends to better estimate U skeletal content at higher levels of U (1–10 μg L−1) in drinking water.
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Details
- Title
- Uranium bone content as an indicator of chronic environmental exposure from drinking water
- Creators
- Dominic Larivière - Laboratoire de radioécologie, Département de chimie, Faculté des sciences et de génie, Université Laval, 1045 Avenue de la Médecine, Bureau 1250D, Pavillon Alexandre-Vachon, Québec, QC, Canada G1V 0A6Sergei Y Tolmachev - U.S. Transuranium and Uranium Registries, College of Pharmacy, Washington State University, 1845 Terminal Drive, Ste 201, Richland, WA 99354, USAVera Kochermin - Radiation Protection Bureau, 775 Brookfield Road, Ottawa, ON, Canada K1A 1C1Sonia Johnson - Radiation Protection Bureau, 775 Brookfield Road, Ottawa, ON, Canada K1A 1C1
- Publication Details
- Journal of environmental radioactivity, Vol.121, pp.98-103
- Publisher
- Elsevier Ltd
- Identifiers
- 99900546691401842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article