Biomaterial Database

Health effects guidance for uranium in drinking water. 1983

C R Cothern, and W L Lappenbusch, and J A Cotruvo

The interim regulations for radioactivity in drinking water were promulgated in 1976 (Federal Register, Friday, 9 July, 1976, p. 28402). These regulations specifically excluded uranium because of uncertainties concerning its toxicology, treatment technology and occurrence. At this time, EPA's Office of Drinking Water is considering proposing a health effects guidance level of 10 pCi/l. (0.37 Bq/l.) for uranium in drinking water. This paper describes the approach that EPAs Office of Drinking Water is considering in developing the guidance level. This value has not yet been officially determined to be EPA's formal guidance, but is presented as a working hypothesis for review and comments. Included here is a discussion of occurrence, pharmacokinetics and health effects. The calculation of doses uses the ICRP 30 model and the risk determination uses EPA's newly developed life table approach. The risk level from ingesting drinking water with a uranium content of 10 pCi/l. is estimated to be about 3 X 10(-5) excess cancers/lifetime.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007700	Kinetics	The rate dynamics in chemical or physical systems.
D008452	Maximum Allowable Concentration	The maximum exposure to a biologically active physical or chemical agent that is allowed during an 8-hour period (a workday) in a population of workers, or during a 24-hour period in the general population, which does not appear to cause appreciable harm, whether immediate or delayed for any period, in the target population. (From Lewis Dictionary of Toxicology, 1st ed)	Maximum Permissible Exposure Level,MPEL,Maximum Permissible Exposure Concentration,Allowable Concentration, Maximum,Allowable Concentrations, Maximum,Concentration, Maximum Allowable,Concentrations, Maximum Allowable,MPELs,Maximum Allowable Concentrations
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000512	Alpha Particles	Positively charged particles composed of two protons and two NEUTRONS, i.e. equivalent to HELIUM nuclei, which are emitted during disintegration of heavy ISOTOPES. Alpha rays have very strong ionizing power, but weak penetrability.	Alpha Rays,Alpha Radiation,Radiation, Alpha,Alpha Particle,Alpha Ray,Particle, Alpha,Particles, Alpha,Ray, Alpha,Rays, Alpha
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D012306	Risk	The probability that an event will occur. It encompasses a variety of measures of the probability of a generally unfavorable outcome.	Relative Risk,Relative Risks,Risk, Relative,Risks,Risks, Relative
D014481	United States	A country in NORTH AMERICA between CANADA and MEXICO.
D014501	Uranium	A radioactive element of the actinide series of metals. It has an atomic symbol U, atomic number 92, and atomic weight 238.03. U-235 is used as the fissionable fuel in nuclear weapons and as fuel in nuclear power reactors.
D014873	Water Pollutants	Substances or organisms which pollute the water or bodies of water. Use for water pollutants in general or those for which there is no specific heading.	Water Pollutant,Pollutant, Water,Pollutants, Water
D014875	Water Pollutants, Radioactive	Pollutants, present in water or bodies of water, which exhibit radioactivity.	Pollutants, Radioactive Water,Radioactive Water Pollutants