Environmental exposure to uranium in a population living in close proximity to gold mine tailings in South Africa.
Environmental pollution
Gold mine tailings
Health
Natural uranium
Scalp hair
South Africa
Journal
Journal of trace elements in medicine and biology : organ of the Society for Minerals and Trace Elements (GMS)
ISSN: 1878-3252
Titre abrégé: J Trace Elem Med Biol
Pays: Germany
ID NLM: 9508274
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
May 2023
May 2023
Historique:
received:
13
09
2022
revised:
25
01
2023
accepted:
14
02
2023
pubmed:
2
3
2023
medline:
28
3
2023
entrez:
1
3
2023
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
Gold mining activities in South Africa resulted in contamination of residential environment with uranium-rich wastes from mine tailings. Health of the people living around the mine tailings could be affected by uranium exposure due to its hazardous chemotoxic and radiological properties. We conducted a cross-sectional study to assess i) uranium (U) concentrations in individual hair samples of children and adults living in close proximity to mine tailings in Northeast- Soweto in Johannesburg, South Africa, and ii) the association between U concentrations in hair and various factors, including zone of residence, socio-demographic and housing characteristics. Sampling sites were divided into three zones based on the distance between a dwelling and a cluster of mine tailings (zone 1: <= 500 m, zone 2: 2-3 km away, zone 3: 4-5 km away). U concentrations in hair samples were measured using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. To test the association between U concentrations and selected factors we used robust regression models with log-transformed U concentrations. Among 128 subjects with available U measurements, 63 (49%) were children (ages 7-15 years) of which 38 were girls, the remaining 65 (51%) were adult females. Mean (median) U concentration in hair samples was 143 (92) µg/kg. In the mutually adjusted analyses, only an inverse association between age and U concentration in hair remained statistically significant, with geometric mean in children being 2.1 times higher compared to adults (P < 0.001). There was no evidence of an association between zones and U concentration (P = 0.42). There was little evidence of association between U concentration in hair and distance from the mine tailings within the 5 km range, but overall concentrations were elevated compared to general population samples in other parts of the world. Children had statistically significantly higher geometric mean of uranium concentration in hair compared to adults. The results are important for improvement of mining waste policies and implementation of health monitoring and protective measures in populations at risk. Research Article.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
BACKGROUND
Gold mining activities in South Africa resulted in contamination of residential environment with uranium-rich wastes from mine tailings. Health of the people living around the mine tailings could be affected by uranium exposure due to its hazardous chemotoxic and radiological properties.
METHODS
METHODS
We conducted a cross-sectional study to assess i) uranium (U) concentrations in individual hair samples of children and adults living in close proximity to mine tailings in Northeast- Soweto in Johannesburg, South Africa, and ii) the association between U concentrations in hair and various factors, including zone of residence, socio-demographic and housing characteristics. Sampling sites were divided into three zones based on the distance between a dwelling and a cluster of mine tailings (zone 1: <= 500 m, zone 2: 2-3 km away, zone 3: 4-5 km away). U concentrations in hair samples were measured using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. To test the association between U concentrations and selected factors we used robust regression models with log-transformed U concentrations.
RESULTS
RESULTS
Among 128 subjects with available U measurements, 63 (49%) were children (ages 7-15 years) of which 38 were girls, the remaining 65 (51%) were adult females. Mean (median) U concentration in hair samples was 143 (92) µg/kg. In the mutually adjusted analyses, only an inverse association between age and U concentration in hair remained statistically significant, with geometric mean in children being 2.1 times higher compared to adults (P < 0.001). There was no evidence of an association between zones and U concentration (P = 0.42).
CONCLUSIONS
CONCLUSIONS
There was little evidence of association between U concentration in hair and distance from the mine tailings within the 5 km range, but overall concentrations were elevated compared to general population samples in other parts of the world. Children had statistically significantly higher geometric mean of uranium concentration in hair compared to adults. The results are important for improvement of mining waste policies and implementation of health monitoring and protective measures in populations at risk.
ARTICLE CATEGORY
UNASSIGNED
Research Article.
Identifiants
pubmed: 36857995
pii: S0946-672X(23)00017-2
doi: 10.1016/j.jtemb.2023.127141
pmc: PMC10030373
pii:
doi:
Substances chimiques
Gold
7440-57-5
Uranium
4OC371KSTK
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
127141Informations de copyright
Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier GmbH.
Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts
Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
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