What are the potential health effects associated with high levels of uranium in drinking water?
The primary health effect from exposure to elevated levels of uranium is kidney damage. However, most of the effects seen in humans have been due to high short-term exposures, and some occupational studies have shown a reversal of kidney effects after exposure ends. Chronic exposures can also result in kidney effects. Health effects from exposure to naturally occurring uranium in drinking water are associated with the chemical toxicity of uranium. US EPA set its drinking water standard for uranium primarily on its chemical toxicity, but, as a precaution, also considered the potential for uranium to cause cancer after a lifetime of drinking water exposure, under the assumption that any constituent that has radioactive properties could cause cancer.
