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Home  >  Medical Research Archives  >  Issue 149  > Diet Controls Uranium Intake and Aggravates Health Hazards
Published in the Medical Research Archives
Aug 2021 Issue

Diet Controls Uranium Intake and Aggravates Health Hazards

Published on Aug 10, 2021

DOI 

Abstract

 

Uranium (U) is ubiquitously abundant in the environment. Significant amounts of U are applied on agricultural soils with mineral phosphorus fertilizers; thus, entering the food chain. The daily intake of U with solid food varies only slightly. It is lowest with a mixed standard diet (1.3 µg/day U) and highest with a vegan diet (2.0 µg/day U). It is the U content of tap and mineral water which determines the total U intake (1.7 – 7.1 µg/day U). Next to U speciation and amount of U entering the human body, an oversupply with phosphorus, and a critical supply with calcium and iron may amplify negative health effects. Kidneys are the prime target of a high P intake and U toxicity. The additional daily phosphorus intake by food phosphates peaked to 1000 mg/day in the last 20 years. This may add on an average 1.2 µg/day U and worst case 11 µg/day U to the solid diet. Toxicological studies suggest that damages of kidneys can be expected when the U content is as low as 0.1-0.4 µg/g U. The study provides a comprehensive overview of potential health hazards caused by dietary uranium intake in relation to nutritional habits.

Author info

Silvia Haneklaus, Heike Windmann, Miyuki Maekawa, Liankai Zhang, Ewald Schnug

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