Toxicological/Biological Effects - doe-hdbk-1113-98_reaffirm_2005

DOE-HDBK-1113-98

Module 101 Properties of Uranium

Lesson Plan

Instructor's Notes

The Chernobyl disaster

resulted in a graphic

Toxicological/Biological Effects

reactor core fire that

burned for days.

The principal entry of uranium into the human

system is due to either inhalation or ingestion.

Inhalation occurs either from release of volatile

uranium compound or from suspension of volatile

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uranium-laden aerosols. Ingestion can occur when

the uranium is introduced into water for

consumption or the food chain by plant uptake.

When uranium is either ingested or inhaled, it is

removed from the body with a biological half-life

varying between 6 and 5000 days, depending on

which organ has become contaminated. Uranium

tends to concentrate in the kidneys and the bones.

Additionally, if inhaled, the lungs are exposed.

Internal exposure to uranium is controlled by

limiting the ingestion and inhalation of this element.

These methods, along with measurement techniques,

are discussed in Module 104.

Most heavy metals, such as uranium, are toxic to

humans depending on the amount introduced into

the body. For short-term (acute) exposures, the

toxicological effects are the primary concern, and

acute exposures to significant amounts of uranium

may result in kidney damage. However, as the

enrichment of the uranium in the 235U isotope

increases, so too do the effects of radiation exposure

in relation to toxicological effects.