ArticleJournal of trace elements in medicine and biology : organ of the Society for Minerals and Trace Elements (GMS)2023
Environmental exposure to uranium in a population living in close proximity to gold mine tailings in South Africa.
Article in Journal of trace elements in medicine and biology : organ of the Society for Minerals and Trace Elements (GMS), 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.
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Who cites it
9 citing papers in PubMed, 21 citations in OpenAlex.
- Assessment of heavy metals and naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) from historical mine wastelands: a case study of Brakpan, South Africa.Environmental monitoring and assessment · 2026Article
- Diallyl disulfide reduces oxidative stress to mitigate uranium tailings radiation-induced damage to the hematopoietic system.Strahlentherapie und Onkologie : Organ der Deutschen Rontgengesellschaft ... [et al] · 2026Article
- Alcohol Consumption, Blood Lead Levels and Aggressive Behaviour Among Adults Living Near Gold Mine Tailings in Gauteng, South Africa.Exposure and health · 2026Article
- Levels of Uranium in Soil and Dust and Their Associated Chemical Risks to Human Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Environmental health insights · 2026Review
- Uranium concentration in children's hair samples and residential soil samples near mine tailings facilities, in Johannesburg, South Africa.Environmental geochemistry and health · 2025Article
- Efficacy of Various Complexing Agents for Displacing Biologically Important Ligands from Eu(III) and Cm(III) Complexes in Artificial Body Fluids-An In Vitro Decorporation Study.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025Article
- Heavy Metal Contamination in Birds from Protected Regions in the Amazon.Environmental toxicology and chemistry · 2024Article
- Possible Sources of Trace Metals in Obese Females Living in Informal Settlements near Industrial Sites around Gauteng, South Africa.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Article
- The Association Between Cobalt and Osteoporosis: A Cross-Sectional Study Utilizing NHANES Data.Dose-response : a publication of International Hormesis SocietyArticle
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
11 authors at 4 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundGold 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.
methodsWe 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.
resultsAmong 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).
conclusionsThere 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: Research Article.
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