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Patterson KP, Nigra AE, Olmedo P, Grau-Perez M, O'Leary R, O'Leary M, Fretts AM, Umans JG, Best LG, Goessler W, Cole SA, Navas-Acien A. Geographic and dietary differences of urinary uranium levels in the Strong Heart Family Study. JOURNAL OF EXPOSURE SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGY 2024:10.1038/s41370-024-00695-6. [PMID: 38961273 DOI: 10.1038/s41370-024-00695-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Revised: 05/29/2024] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND American Indian (AI) communities are affected by uranium exposure from abandoned mines and naturally contaminated drinking water. Few studies have evaluated geographical differences across AI communities and the role of dietary exposures. OBJECTIVE We evaluated differences in urinary uranium levels by diet and geographical area among AI participants from the Northern Plains, the Southern Plains, and the Southwest enrolled in the Strong Heart Family Study (SHFS). METHODS We used food frequency questionnaires to determine dietary sources related to urinary uranium levels for 1,682 SHFS participants in 2001-2003. We calculated adjusted geometric mean ratios (GMRs) of urinary uranium for an interquartile range (IQR) increase in self-reported food group consumption accounting for family clustering and adjusting for sociodemographic variables and other food groups. We determined the percentage of variability in urinary uranium explained by diet. RESULTS Median (IQR) urinary uranium levels were 0.027 (0.012, 0.057) μg/g creatinine. Urinary uranium levels were higher in Arizona (median 0.039 μg/g) and North Dakota and South Dakota (median 0.038 μg/g) and lower in Oklahoma (median 0.019 μg/g). The adjusted percent increase (95% confidence interval) of urinary uranium levels per IQR increase in reported food intake was 20% (5%, 36%) for organ meat, 11% (1%, 23%) for cereals, and 14% (1%, 29%) for alcoholic drinks. In analyses stratified by study center, the association with organ meat was specific to North Dakota and South Dakota participants. An IQR increase in consumption of fries and chips was inversely associated with urinary uranium levels -11% (-19%, -3%). Overall, we estimated that self-reported dietary exposures explained 1.71% of variability in urine uranium levels. IMPACT Our paper provides a novel assessment of self-reported food intake and urinary uranium levels in a cohort of American Indian participants. We identify foods (organ meat, cereals, and alcohol) positively associated with urinary uranium levels, find that organ meat consumption is only associated with urine uranium in North Dakota and South Dakota, and estimate that diet explains relatively little variation in total urinary uranium concentrations. Our findings contribute meaningful data toward a more comprehensive estimation of uranium exposure among Native American communities and support the need for high-quality assessments of water and dust uranium exposures in SHFS communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin P Patterson
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Anne E Nigra
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Pablo Olmedo
- Department of Legal Medicine and Toxicology, School of Medicine, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Maria Grau-Perez
- Area of Cardiometabolic and Renal Risk, Biomedical Research Institute Hospital Clinic of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Rae O'Leary
- Missouri Breaks Industries Research Inc, Eagle Butte, SD, USA
| | - Marcia O'Leary
- Missouri Breaks Industries Research Inc, Eagle Butte, SD, USA
| | - Amanda M Fretts
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Jason G Umans
- MedStar Health Research Institute, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Lyle G Best
- Missouri Breaks Industries Research Inc, Eagle Butte, SD, USA
| | | | - Shelley A Cole
- Texas Biomedical Research Institute, Hyattsville, MD, USA
| | - Ana Navas-Acien
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY, USA
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Clausen RJ, Chief C, Teufel-Shone NI, Begay MA, Charley PH, Beamer PI, Anako N, Chief K. Diné-centered Research Reframes the Gold King Mine Spill: Understanding Social and Spiritual Impacts Across Space and Time. JOURNAL OF RURAL STUDIES 2023; 97:449-457. [PMID: 36908972 PMCID: PMC9997850 DOI: 10.1016/j.jrurstud.2022.12.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
This paper explores how Indigenous-led research reframes the impacts and response to environmental disasters in the context of acid mine spills in rural communities of the Southwest United States. The collaborative research project addressing the Gold King Mine Spill (GKMS) designed qualitative methodologies that center Indigenous worldviews and contribute to broader understandings of environmental justice. The research team, led by Diné scholars and community leaders, gathered qualitative responses from 123 adult participants in twelve focus groups from three rural communities on the Navajo Nation. The project incorporated fluent Diné speakers and cultural consultants to lead focus groups in a manner consistent with cultural worldviews. The analysis of the focus group data resulted in original findings that reframe previous understandings of environmental harm by broadening the boundaries to include: 1) social relations across time; 2) social relations across space; 3) spiritual relations; and 4) restoring balance. The findings allow for greater insight into the colonial context of disaster on rural and Indigenous lands and confronts colonial-rooted disasters through Indigenous-informed political action.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Nicolette I Teufel-Shone
- Center for Health Equity Research and Department of Health Sciences, Northern Arizona University
| | - Manley A Begay
- Applied Indigenous Studies Department, Northern Arizona University
| | | | - Paloma I Beamer
- Department of Community, Environment and Policy, Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona
| | | | - Karletta Chief
- Department of Environmental Science, University of Arizona
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Coombs S, Sleeth DK, Jones RM. Environmental and occupational health on the Navajo Nation: a scoping review. REVIEWS ON ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH 2022; 37:181-187. [PMID: 34968017 PMCID: PMC9150895 DOI: 10.1515/reveh-2021-0118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
A scoping review was performed to answer: what environmental health concerns have been associated with adverse health outcomes in the Navajo Nation? The review focused on occupational and ambient environmental exposures associated with human industrial activities. The search strategy was implemented in PubMed, and two investigators screened the retrieved literature. Thirteen studies were included for review. Data were extracted using the matrix method. Six studies described associations between work in uranium mining and cancer. Six studies focused on environmental exposures to uranium mine waste and other metals, with outcomes that included biological markers, kidney disease, diabetes and hypertension, and adverse birth outcomes. One study explored occupational exposure to Sin Nombre Virus and infection. Most research has focused on the health effects of uranium, where occupational exposures occurred among miners and environmental exposures are a legacy of uranium mining and milling. Gaps exist with respect to health outcomes associated with current occupations and the psychosocial impact of environmental hazards. Other environmental exposures and hazards are known to exist on the Navajo Nation, which may warrant epidemiologic research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharly Coombs
- Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Darrah K. Sleeth
- Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Rachael M. Jones
- Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
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Webber ZR, Webber KGI, Rock T, St Clair I, Thompson C, Groenwald S, Aanderud Z, Carling GT, Frei RJ, Abbott BW. Diné citizen science: Phytoremediation of uranium and arsenic in the Navajo Nation. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 794:148665. [PMID: 34218141 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2021] [Revised: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Mid-20th century mining in Naabeehó Bináhásdzo (Navajo Nation) polluted soil and groundwater with uranium and arsenic. The Diné and other indigenous residents of this region use groundwater for drinking, livestock, and irrigation, creating a serious environmental health risk. Currently, many individuals and communities on the Navajo Nation must purchase and transport treated water from hours away. Sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) preferentially take up uranium and arsenic, potentially representing a tool to remove these contaminants through on-site, low-cost phytoremediation. This study reports the results of a collaboration among researchers, high school students, teachers, and tribal leaders to analyze water chemistry and perform a phytoremediation experiment. In 2018 and 2019, we compiled existing data from the Navajo Nation Environmental Protection Agency (NNEPA) and collected samples from surface and groundwater. We then used sunflower seedlings grown in local soil to assess whether phytoremediation could be effective at removing arsenic and uranium. For the NNEPA-sampled wells, 9.5% exceeded the maximum contaminant level for uranium (30 μg per liter) and 16% for arsenic (10 μg per liter). For the new samples, uranium was highest in surface pools, suggesting leaching from local soil. Unlike studies from humid regions, sunflowers did not decrease uranium and arsenic in soil water. Instead, there was no change in arsenic concentration and an increase in uranium concentration in both planted and control treatments, attributable to weathering of uranium-bearing minerals in the desert soil. Because much of global uranium mining occurs in arid and semiarid regions, the ineffectiveness of phytoremediation on the Navajo Nation emphasizes the importance of prevention and conventional remediation. More generally, the participatory science approach created meaningful relationships and an important collaboration between a tribal chapter and a university, providing both cultural and scientific experiential learning opportunities for Diné high school students, undergraduate researchers, and senior personnel.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zak R Webber
- Brigham Young University, Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, 4105 LSB, Provo, UT 84602, USA
| | - Kei G I Webber
- Brigham Young University, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, C-104 BNSN, Provo, UT 84602, USA
| | - Tommy Rock
- University of Utah Rocky Mountain Center for Occupational and Environmental Health, 391 Chipeta Way Suite C, Salt Lake City, UT 84108, USA
| | - Isaac St Clair
- Brigham Young University, Department of Statistics, 223 TMCB, Provo, UT 84602, USA
| | - Carson Thompson
- Brigham Young University, Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, 4105 LSB, Provo, UT 84602, USA
| | | | - Zach Aanderud
- Brigham Young University, Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, 4105 LSB, Provo, UT 84602, USA
| | - Gregory T Carling
- Brigham Young University, Department of Geological Sciences, S-389 ESC, Provo, UT 84602, USA
| | - Rebecca J Frei
- University of Alberta, Department of Renewable Resources, 751 General Services Building University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Benjamin W Abbott
- Brigham Young University, Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, 4105 LSB, Provo, UT 84602, USA.
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Redvers N, Chischilly AM, Warne D, Pino M, Lyon-Colbert A. Uranium Exposure in American Indian Communities: Health, Policy, and the Way Forward. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2021; 129:35002. [PMID: 33769848 PMCID: PMC7997609 DOI: 10.1289/ehp7537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Uranium contamination of drinking-water sources on American Indian (AI) reservations in the United States is a largely ignored and underfunded public health crisis. With an estimated 40% of the headwaters in the western U.S. watershed, home to many AI reservation communities, being contaminated with untreated mine waste, the potential health effects have largely been unexplored. With AI populations already facing continued and progressive economic and social marginalization, higher prevalence of chronic disease, and systemic discrimination, associations between various toxicant exposures, including uranium, and various chronic conditions, need further examination. OBJECTIVES Uranium's health effects, in addition to considerations for uranium drinking-water testing, reporting, and mitigation in reference to AI communities through the lens of water quality, is reviewed. DISCUSSION A series of environmental health policy recommendations are described with the intent to proactively improve responsiveness to the water quality crisis in AI reservation communities in the United States specific to uranium. There is a serious and immediate need for better coordination of uranium-related drinking-water testing and reporting on reservations in the United States that will better support and guide best practices for uranium mitigation efforts. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP7537.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Redvers
- University of North Dakota School of Medicine & Health Sciences, Grand Forks, North Dakota, USA
- Arctic Indigenous Wellness Foundation, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada
- inVIVO Planetary Health, Worldwide Universities Network, West New York, New Jersey, USA
| | | | - Donald Warne
- University of North Dakota School of Medicine & Health Sciences, Grand Forks, North Dakota, USA
| | - Manuel Pino
- Scottsdale Community College, Scottsdale, Arizona, USA
| | - Amber Lyon-Colbert
- University of North Dakota School of Medicine & Health Sciences, Grand Forks, North Dakota, USA
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Hinck JE, Cleveland D, Sample BE. Terrestrial ecological risk analysis via dietary exposure at uranium mine sites in the Grand Canyon watershed (Arizona, USA). CHEMOSPHERE 2021; 265:129049. [PMID: 33250226 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.129049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Revised: 11/17/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The U.S. Department of the Interior recently included uranium (U) on a list of mineral commodities that are considered critical to economic and national security. The uses of U for commercial and residential energy production, defense applications, medical device technologies, and energy generation for space vehicles and satellites are known, but the environmental impacts of uranium extraction are not always well quantified. We conducted a screening-level ecological risk analysis based on exposure to mining-related elements via diets and incidental soil ingestion for terrestrial biota to provide context to chemical characterization and exposures at breccia pipe U mines in northern Arizona. Relative risks, calculated as hazard quotients (HQs), were generally low for all biological receptor models. Our models screened for risk to omnivores and insectivores (HQs>1) but not herbivores and carnivores. Uranium was not the driver of ecological risk; arsenic, cadmium, copper, and zinc were of concern for biota consuming ground-dwelling invertebrates. Invertebrate species composition should be considered when applying these models to other mining locations or future sampling at the breccia pipe mine sites. Dietary concentration thresholds (DCTs) were also calculated to understand food concentrations that may lead to ecological risk. The DCTs indicated that critical concentrations were not approached in our model scenarios, as evident in the very low HQs for most models. The DCTs may be used by natural resource and land managers as well as mine operators to screen or monitor for potential risk to terrestrial receptors as mine sites are developed and remediated in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jo Ellen Hinck
- U.S. Geological Survey, Columbia Environmental Research Center, 4200 New Haven Road, Columbia, MO, 65201, USA.
| | - Danielle Cleveland
- U.S. Geological Survey, Columbia Environmental Research Center, 4200 New Haven Road, Columbia, MO, 65201, USA
| | - Bradley E Sample
- Ecological Risk, Inc. 15036 Magno Ct., Rancho Murieta, CA, 95683, USA
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