Chronic exposure from natural uranium through drinking water to local inhabitants of Jaduguda and an estimation of transfer to kidney

Nephrotoxic effect is considered to be due to long term exposure to natural uranium. Drinking water and diet items are the two major routes of intake of uranium. Ground water sources around Jaduguda were analysed for uranium and subsequent kidney concentrations were estimated using ICRP-1979 Pharmaco-Kinetic model. The mean values of kidney concentration from uranium in water in different distance zones around Jaduguda were estimated to be in the range of 1.9-2.7 x 10-3 mg.g-l. This is much lower than the limit of 1.0 mg.g-l for the members of public. In fact the highest estimated value due to one source found in the distance zone of 1.6-5.0 km due to natural levels is also only about 6.6% of the limit. Since drinking water is the principal route of intake of uranium and other routes viz. ingestion and inhalation do not contribute significantly it can be safely concluded that, the total kidney concentration from all possible routes is only about 0.003 mg.g-1, compared to the threshold value of 3 mg.g-1, suggested in the literature. (author)