Lung Cancer in Uranium Miners and the Implications of the U/V Ratio in Uranium-Bearing Particles

摘要

Several geological formations mined for uranium ore during and after the second World War had been mined earlier for vanadium. Most miners and millers from the Utah-Colorado mining region worked with this ore or its tailings at one time or another. Preliminary investigation to determine the size and location of uranium-bearing particles retained in the lungs of a former uranium miner and miller from this region, who died of lung cancer (mesothelioma), showed a high nonuniform distribution of vanadium. This observation leads to the hypothesis that the vanadium content in that lung could be associated with inhaled particles. Further examination of spectra of characteristic x-rays obtained by scanning microPIXE (particle induced x-ray emission) of an autopsy sample of this lung indicated that vanadium was indeed present in localized sites within the 20 mu m spatial resolution of the proton beam. This work points out that the vanadium found in the lungs of this former miner and miller is nonuniformly distributed, and can be used for site localization and size determination of inhaled particles retained in the lungs. The meaning of U/V ratios in dust particles and in lungs is discussed. Further studies are in progress to: (1) locate uranium-bearing particles in lung tissues of former uranium miners and millers; and (2) evaluate the local alpha doses received from these particles. 11 refs., 3 figs., 1 tab. (ERA citation 10:040262)