NDLI: World Health Organization increases its drinking-water guideline for uranium.

Content Provider	World Health Organization (WHO)-Global Index Medicus
Author	Frisbie, Seth H. Mitchell, Erika J. Sarkar, Bibudhendra
Description	Author Affiliation: Frisbie SH ( Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Norwich University, Northfield, VT, USA. sfrisbie@norwich.edu emitchel@student.norwich.edu.)
Abstract	The World Health Organization (WHO) released the fourth edition of Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality in July, 2011. In this edition, the drinking-water guideline for uranium (U) was increased to 30 µg L(-1) despite the conclusion that 'deriving a guideline value for uranium in drinking-water is complex, because the data [from exposures to humans] do not provide a clear no-effect concentration' and 'Although some minor biochemical changes associated with kidney function have been reported to be correlated with uranium exposure at concentrations below 30 µg L(-1), these findings are not consistent between studies' (WHO, Uranium in Drinking-water, Background document for development of WHO Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality, available: , accessed 13 October 2011). This paper reviews the WHO drinking-water guideline for U, from its introduction as a 2 µg L(-1) health-based guideline in 1998 through its increase to a 30 µg L(-1) health-based guideline in 2011. The current 30 µg L(-1) WHO health-based drinking-water guideline was calculated using a 'no-effect group' with 'no evidence of renal damage [in humans] from 10 renal toxicity indicators'. However, this nominal 'no-effect group' was associated with increased diastolic blood pressure, systolic blood pressure, and glucose excretion in urine. In addition, the current 30 µg L(-1) guideline may not protect children, people with predispositions to hypertension or osteoporosis, pre-existing chronic kidney disease, and anyone with a long exposure. The toxic effects of U in drinking water on laboratory animals and humans justify a re-evaluation by the WHO of its decision to increase its U drinking-water guideline.
File Format	HTM / HTML
ISSN	20507887
Issue Number	10
Volume Number	15
e-ISSN	20507895
Journal	Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts
Language	English
Publisher	Royal Society of Chemistry
Publisher Date	2013-10-01
Publisher Place	Great Britain (UK)
Access Restriction	Subscribed
Subject Keyword	Discipline Environmental Health Drinking Water Standards Environmental Exposure Guidelines As Topic Uranium Water Pollutants, Radioactive Animals Adverse Effects Analysis Humans No-observed-adverse-effect Level Toxicity World Health Organization Journal Article Research Support, Non-u.s. Gov't
Content Type	Text
Resource Type	Article
Subject	Environmental Chemistry Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law

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