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HERO ID
4259540
Reference Type
Journal Article
Subtype
Review
Title
Depleted uranium and human health
Author(s)
Faa, A; Gerosa, C; Fanni, D; Floris, G; Eyken, PV; Lachowicz, JI; Nurchi, VM
Year
2018
Is Peer Reviewed?
Yes
Journal
Current Medicinal Chemistry
ISSN:
0929-8673
EISSN:
1875-533X
Volume
25
Issue
1
Page Numbers
49-64
Language
English
PMID
28462701
DOI
10.2174/0929867324666170426102343
Web of Science Id
WOS:000422944100005
Abstract
Depleted uranium (DU) is generally considered an emerging pollutant, first extensively introduced into environment in the early nineties in Iraq, during the military operation called "Desert Storm". DU has been hypothesized to represent a hazardous element both for soldiers exposed as well as for the inhabitants of the polluted areas in the war zones. In this review, the possible consequences on human health of DU released in the environment are critically analyzed. In the first part, the chemical properties of DU and the principal civil and military uses are summarized. A concise analysis of the mechanisms underlying absorption, blood transport, tissue distribution and excretion of DU in the human body is the subject of the second part of this article. The following sections deal with pathological condition putatively associated with overexposure to DU. Developmental and birth defects, the Persian Gulf syndrome, and kidney diseases that have been associated to DU are the arguments treated in the third section. Finally, data regarding DU exposure and cancer insurgence will be critically analyzed, including leukemia/lymphoma, lung cancer, uterine cervix cancer, breast cancer, bladder cancer and testicular cancer. The aim of the authors is to give a contribution to the debate on DU and its effects on human health and disease.
Keywords
Depleted uranium; Persian Gulf syndrome; desert storm; uranium chemical properties; uranium metabolism; uranium toxicity
Tags
IRIS
•
Uranium
Pubmed
WOS
Uranium Literature Search Update 7/2018
PubMed
WOS
Uranium Literature Search Update 4/2020
PubMed
WOS
•
Uranium Toxicological Review
Screening
Supplementary Material
Review, commentary, letter, no original data
Developmental
Musculoskeltal/connective tissue
Multi-system
Nervous
Reproductive
Urinary
Date limited literature search 2011-2021
WOS
Pubmed
Scopus
New to this search
Additional Strategies
Exposure Criteria by Research Topic
Comparison of measures among tissues
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