J Appl Biomed 2:37-42, 2004

Toxicological aspects of depleted uranium

Jiří Patočka1,2,*, Jiří Kassa1, Rudolf Štětina1, Gustav Šafr3, Josef Havel4
1 Department of Toxicology, Military Medical Academy, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic
2 Department of Radiology, The University of South Bohemia, Česke Budějovice, Czech Republic
3 Department of Combat and Transport Vehicles, Faculty of Military Technology, Brno Military Academy, Brno, Czech Republic
4 Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic

Depleted uranium is a byproduct of the uranium enrichment process and has been used for decades in different applications. Recently depleted uranium is used as an anti-armour munition because of its profitable physical properties. One of these, the ability to ignite and burn at very high temperatures, may result in the formation of an aerosol of very small uranium oxide clusters, which may be inhaled. It is alleged that these particles represent a new battlefield hazard because of the radioactivity and chemical toxicity of uranium.

Keywords: absinthe; thujone; composition; metabolites; detoxification

Received: May 16, 2003; Revised: October 17, 2003; Published: March 31, 2004  Show citation

ACS AIP APA ASA Harvard Chicago Chicago Notes IEEE ISO690 MLA NLM Turabian Vancouver
Patočka J, Kassa J, Štětina R, Šafr G, Havel J. Toxicological aspects of depleted uranium. J Appl Biomed. 2004;2(1):37-42.
Share...
Download citation
  • BibTeX (.bib)
  • Bookends (.ris)
  • EasyBib (.ris)
  • EndNote (.enw)
  • EndNote 8 (.xml)
  • ISI WoS (.isi)
  • Medlars (.medlars)
  • Mendeley (.ris)
  • MODS (.xml)
  • Papers (.ris)
  • RefWorks (.txt)
  • RefManager (.ris)
  • RIS (.ris)
  • MS Word (.xml)
  • Zotero (.ris)
    • Open full article

    References

    1. ATSDR: U.S. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR): Toxicological Profile for Uranium, Draft for Public Comment, September 1997, p. 350.
    2. Au W.W., M.A. McConnel, G.S. Wilkinson, V.M. Ramanujam, N. Alcock: Population monitoring experience with residents exposed to uranium mining/milling waste. Mutation Res. 405: 237-245, 1998. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    3. Au W.W., R.G. Lane, M.S. Legator, E.B. Whorton, G.S. Wilkinson, G.J. Gabehart: Biomarker monitoring of a population residing near uranium mining activities. Environ. Health Perspect. 103: 466-470, 1995. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    4. Cooper J.R., G.N. Stradling, H. Smith, S.E. Ham: The behavior of uranium 233 oxide and uranyl 233 nitrate in rats. Int. J. Rad. Biol. 41: 421-433, 1982. Go to original source...
    5. Cross F.T., R.F. Palmer, R.H Busch, R.E. Filipy, B.O. Stuart: Development of lesions in Syrian golden hamsters following exposure to radon daughters and uranium dust. Health Physics 41: 1135-1153, 1981. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    6. Dygert H.P.: Pharmacology and Toxicology of Uranium Compounds. McGraw Hill Books Inc. 1949, pages 647-652, 666-672, and 673-675.
    7. Ebinger M.H. and W.R Hansen: Depleted Uranium Human Health Risk Assessment, Jefferson Proving Ground, Indiana. LA-UR-94-1809, 1994. Go to original source...
    8. Gilman A.P, D.C. Villeneuve, V.E Secour, A.P. Yagminas, B.L. Tracy, J.M. Quinn, V.E. Valli, R.J. Willes, M.A. Moss: Uranyl nitrate: 28-day and 91-day toxicity studies in the Sprague-Dawley rat. Toxicol. Sci. 41: 117-128, 1998. Go to original source...
    9. Gindler J.E.: Physical and Chemical Properties of Uranium. In: Uranium, Plutonium and Transplutonic Elements. Editors: Hodge et al. New York NY: Springer Verlag 1973, pp. 69-164. Go to original source...
    10. Havel J., D.Gajdošová, J. Soto-Guerrero: Matrix-assisted laser desorption-ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry as a tool for speciation analysis?, in: Evaluation of Speciation Technology, Workshop Proceedings, Tokai-Mura, Japan, 26-28 October 1999, organized by AEN/NEA.
    11. Jacob P., G. Pröhl, K. Schneider, J.-U. Voß: Machbarkeitsstudie zur Verknüpfung der Bewertung radiologischer und chemisch-toxischer Wirkungen von Altlasten, Umweltbundesamt, Texte 43/97, Berlin 1997, p. 145.
    12. Kemp T.J., K.R. Jennings., P.A. Resd: Formation and decomposition of uranium.oxygen clusters in fast-atom-bombardment of dioxouranum(VI) salts. J. Chem. Soc. Dalton 5: 885-889, 1995. Go to original source...
    13. McDonald-Taylor C.K., M.K Bhatnagar, A. Gilman, A. Yamingas, A. Singh: Uranyl nitrate induced glomerular basement membrane Alterations in rabbits: A quantitative analysis. Bull. Environ. Conta.Toxicol. 48: 367-373, 1992. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    14. Miller A.C., A.F. Fuciarelli, W.E. Jackson, E.J. Ejnik, C. Emond, S. Strocko: Urinary and serum mutagenicity studies with rats implanted with depleted uranium or tantalum pellets. Mutagenesis 13: 643-648. 1998b. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    15. Miller A.C., W.F. Blakely, V. Livengood, T. Whittaker, J. Xu, J.W. Ejnik, M.M. Hamilton, E. Parlette, T.S. John, H.M. Gerstenberg, H. Hsu: Transformation of human osteoblast cells to tumorigenic phenotype by depleted uranium-uranyl chloride. Environ. Health. Perspec.106: 465-471, 1998a. Go to original source...
    16. Murray V.S.G., M.R. Bailey, B.G. Spratt: Depleted uranium: a new battlefield hazard. Lancet 360: 31-32, 2002. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    17. Ortega A., J.L. Domingo, J.M. Llobet, J.M. Thomas, J.L. Paternain: Evaluation of the oral toxicity of uranium in a 4-week drinking water study in rats. Bull. Environ. Cont.Toxicol. 42: 935-941, 1989. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    18. Patočka J., J. Kassa, R. Štětina: Toxikologie uranu. Voj. Zdrav. Listy 69: 199-205, 2000.
    19. Priest N.D.: Toxicity of depleted uranium. Lancet 357: 244-246, 2001. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    20. Soto-Guerrero J., D. Gajdošová, J. Havel: Uranium oxide clusters by laser desorption ionisation during MALDI-TOF MS analysis of uranium(VI), J. Radioanal. Nucl. Chem. 249: 139-143, 2000.
    21. Spiegel C.J.: Pharmacology and Toxicology of Uranium Compounds. McGraw Hill Books Co. Inc. 1949.
    22. Stokinger H.E.: Uranium. In Clayton C.D. and F.E. Clayton (eds): Industrial Hygiene and Toxicology. Vol 2A, 3rd Edition. John Wiley and Sons, New York 1981, pp. 1995-2013..
    23. Stokinger H.E., R.C.Baxter, H.P Dygert: Toxicity Following Inhalation for 1 and 2 Years. In Voegtlin C. and C. Hodge (eds): Pharmacology and Toxicology of Uranium Compounds I-IV, New York 1953.
    24. Stradling G.N., J.W. Stather, S.A. Gray, J.C. Moody, A. Hodgson, D. Sedgwick, N. Cooke: The metabolism of ceramic uranium and non-ceramic uranium dioxide after deposition in the rat lung. Hum. Toxicol. 7: 133-139, 1988. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    25. Thun M.J., D.B. Baker, K. Steenland, A.B. Smith, W. Halperin, T. Berl: Renal toxicity in uranium mill workers. Scand. J. Work Environ. Health. 11: 83-90, 1985. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    26. Wedeen R.P.: Renal diseases of occupational origin. Occup. Med. 7: 449-463, 1992. Go to PubMed...
    27. WHO: World Health Organization: Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality, Second Edition, Addendum to Volume 2: Health Criteria and Other Supporting Information, WHO/EOS/98.1, Geneva 1998, 283 p.

    Return to the content