Advances in the study of biomarkers of early uranium-induced kidney injury / 中国辐射卫生

@#With the rapid development of the nuclear industry, the uranium-exposed population is rapidly expanding. Kidney injury is a major health concern for uranium-exposed population because uranium is initially retained in the kidneys and induces chemical toxicity. However, the commonly used clinical markers of kidney injury usually show significant changes in the late stages of such damage, making it difficult to monitor the occupational health of uranium-exposed population. In recent years, a number of biomarkers that can reflect early kidney injury caused by uranium have been identified and investigated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and protein blotting. This article will review the studies in this area, with the aim of providing a basis for the diagnosis and understanding the development and prognosis of uranium-induced kidney injury.

Preliminary estimation of lung cancer risk of radon exposure in a uranium mine using different corrections / 中国职业医学

Objective: To explore the correction factors of lung cancer caused by radon exposure in a uranium mine, and estimate the excess relative risk (ERR) coefficient of lung cancer caused by radon in the uranium miners. Methods: Male miners who worked in a uranium mine more than one year in Hunan Province from 1958 to 2018 were selected. This study preliminarily estimated the ERR coefficient of lung cancer caused by radon in the miners with different corrections using the Possion regression model. Results: This study cohort included 4 851 uranium miners, with 187 miners died with lung cancer from 1958 to 2018, and cumulative follow-up of 207 251 person-year. The ERR coefficient of lung cancer caused by radon without correction factors was estimated to be 0.21%/WLM (95%CI: 0.04%/WLM-0.27%/WLM). In the final model, the exponential correction factors of radon-induced lung cancer were time since exposure and exposure rate. In this model, if time since exposure was 45 years and the average exposure rate was 0.14 WL, the estimated ERR coefficient was 1.73%/WLM (95%CI: 0.36%/WLM-3.11%/WLM). The ERR decreases by about 60.00% for every 10 years since exposure, and increases by about 30.00% for every one WL increase exposure rate. Conclusion: The correction factors of lung cancer caused by radon in uranium miners in this mine were the time since exposure and exposure rate. It was preliminarily estimated that the ERR coefficient of lung cancer caused by radon in the occupational radon exposed population in this uranium mine was 1.73%/WLM (95%CI: 0.36%/WLM-3.11%/WLM).

Methods for the analysis of uranium aerosol concentration in the workplace of uranium processing and fuel fabrication facilities / 中国辐射卫生

Objective To establish a method for uranium aerosol sample collection, dry ashing treatment, and laboratory laser-fluorescence measurement in the workplace of uranium processing and fuel fabrication facilities. Methods Through optimization experiments, the effects of sampling flow, sample pH value, and test temperature on uranium aerosol concentration results were studied, and the detection limit, precision, and recovery rate of the method were tested. Results Under the optimal test conditions, the detection limit of the method was 0.025 ng/mL; the minimum detectable concentration of 1 m3 of aerosol samples was 1.25 × 10−3 μg/m3; the relative standard deviation (RSD) of the measurement results was less than 5%; the recovery rate was between 96% and 104%. Conclusion The detection limit, precision, and accuracy of the method meet the testing requirements for uranium aerosol samples in the workplace of uranium processing and fuel fabrication facilities.

Advances in dose-effect and biomarker studies of uranium-induced kidney injury / 环境与职业医学

With the development of nuclear energy technology and the use of depleted uranium weapons, the uranium exposed population is gradually expanding and the health effects of uranium exposure are of increasing concern. The toxicity of uranium to kidney, a sensitive organ for uranium to enter the body to produce effects, cannot be ignored. As of now, the effects of uranium exposure on the kidney are still not well understood, the threshold of uranium-induced kidney injury has been controversial, and there is a lack of sensitive and specific biomarkers for the diagnosis of early kindey damage, especially in the context of chronic uranium exposure. For these reasons, this paper reviewed the results of research on dose-effect relationships and biomarkers of uranium-induced kidney injury and provided an outlook on future research directions, with the aim of providing a basis for subsequent study on animal experiments and population health effects related to uranium exposure.