Health Effects and Environmental Justice Concerns of Exposure to Uranium in Drinking Water.
We discuss the recent epidemiologic literature regarding health effects of uranium exposure in drinking water focusing on the chemical characteristics of uranium. While there is strong toxicologic evidence for renal and reproductive effects as well as DNA damage, the epidemiologic evidence for these effects in people exposed to uranium in drinking water is limited. Further, epidemiologic evidence is lacking for cardiovascular and oncogenic effects. One challenge in characterizing health effects of uranium in drinking water is the paucity of long-term cohort studies with individual level exposure assessment. Nevertheless, there are environmental justice concerns due to the substantial exposures for certain populations. For example, we present original data suggesting that individuals living in the Navajo Nation are exposed to high levels of uranium in unregulated well water used for drinking. In 10 out of 185 samples (5.4 %), concentrations of uranium exceeded standards under the Safe Drinking Water Act. Therefore, efforts to mitigate exposure to toxic elements in drinking water are warranted and should be prioritized.
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Tufts University School of Engineering, 200 College Ave, Medford, MA, USA. laura.corlin@tufts.edu.
Laura
L
Corlin
Northern Arizona University School of Earth Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, 525 S Beaver St, Flagstaff, AZ, USA.
Tommy
T
Rock
Tufts University School of Arts and Sciences, 200 College Ave, Medford, MA, USA.
Jamie
J
Cordova
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Tufts University School of Engineering, 200 College Ave, Medford, MA, USA.|Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine, 136 Harrison Ave, Boston, MA, USA.
Mark
M
Woodin
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Tufts University School of Engineering, 200 College Ave, Medford, MA, USA.
John L
JL
Durant
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Tufts University School of Engineering, 200 College Ave, Medford, MA, USA.
David M
DM
Gute
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Northern Arizona University, 700 South Osborne Dr, Flagstaff, AZ, USA.
Jani
J
Ingram
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Tufts University School of Engineering, 200 College Ave, Medford, MA, USA.|Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine, 136 Harrison Ave, Boston, MA, USA.|Tisch College of Civic Life, Medford, MA, USA.
Doug
D
Brugge
D060766:Drinking Water / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000737:chemistry; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American; D012935:Social Justice; D014481:United States; D014501:Uranium / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000737:chemistry; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000633:toxicity*; D014881:Water Supply / Q000592:standards
D060766:Drinking Water; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D014501:Uranium
Arsenic; Drinking water; Environmental justice; Health effects; Navajo; Uranium