江西721铀矿区环境污染及其对人体健康风险研究

The environmental hazards caused by the mining, processing, decommissioning of uranium mine can hardly be neglected, for example, not only the long term low-dose radiation caused by mining waste, but also the water, plants, PM(particulate matter) polluted by the uranium or other heavy metal from the soil around the uranium mine can pose potential threat to human health. Based on our preliminary work that found inhabitants near 721 uranium mine had a higher incidence of lung cancer, the hypothesis that uranium environmental pollution poses risk on human health was derived. In this project, we will study the relation between uranium environmental pollution and human health in 721 uranium mine. Specifically, we are going to use the self-developed microtitrimetry to detect and measure uranium content in the soil and crops sampled from the ore district, hydrometallurgical mill well as tailings dam. Besides, we will also investigate the uranium contamination, measure radiation dose, and study the local epidemiology. Moreover, blood, urine, nail and hair samples collected from inhabitants will be tested in order to identify the main sources of pollution and routes of exposure. In addition, the health risk assessment model recommended by the U.S. EPA(Environmental Protection Agency) will also be employed to compute human health risk associated with exposure to this contamination under different situations such as eating, drinking and skin contacting. With those efforts, we will be able to find out the main source of human and animal health risk together with the reason of farmland's degradation from the perspective of environmental pollution, and hence provide some scientific basis for environmental protection, disease prevention, and the legislation in the uranium mining area.

铀矿山的开采、加工、退役引发的环境危害不可忽视，其中铀矿开采后遗留下的废渣，给周围环境带来长期的低剂量辐射，加之铀矿山周边土壤中铀等重金属污染，可经水、植物、粉尘等介质最终对人体健康造成潜在的威胁。前期工作发现铀矿周边居民肺癌发病率较高，据此提出铀矿环境污染对人体健康风险的假设。我们将主要采用自主研发的微量滴定法对铀矿矿区、水冶厂、尾矿坝等附近居民点土壤及农作物中铀含量进行分析，对矿区土壤铀污染现状、辐射剂量和流行病学进行调研，对周边居民血样、尿样、指甲和头发等进行检测，找出影响居民健康的主要污染物质及暴露途径，并运用美国EPA推荐的健康风险评价模型，计算通过土壤摄食、饮水、皮肤接触等不同途径下引发的人体健康风险，以确定矿区环境污染对人体的健康影响。以期从环境污染角度，寻求人畜健康遭受威胁、土地失去耕种能力的原因，从而为铀矿区的环境保护、疾病预防以及相关标准、法规的制定提供科学依据。

铀矿山的开采、加工、退役引发的环境危害不可忽视，其中铀矿开采后遗留下的废渣，给周围环境带来长期的低剂量辐射，加之铀矿山周边土壤中铀等重金属污染，可经水、植物、粉尘等介质最终对人体健康造成潜在的威胁。.选择了江西721铀矿水冶厂、尾矿坝和山南矿区三个研究区的土壤和农作物，矿工和居民为研究对象，对农田土壤重金属污染现状进行了系统分析，对农田土壤重金属的污染指数进行了综合评价，对农作物的重金属特征进行了细致研究，对农作物重金属元素对人体健康危害的个人平均风险值进行了计算，对铀矿矿工及矿区居民头发中铀含量及放射活度进行了分类分析，对矿工以及子女的健康状况进行了普查，对癌症发病率进行了筛查。结果表明，研究区农田土壤中Pb、Cd、Cr、Cu、U均出现不同程度的累积，其中Cd污染最为严重。三个研究区农田土壤中Cd、Cu、U为强度至中度污染水平。农田土壤中Pb、Cd、Cr、Cu污染程度：山南矿区<水冶厂<尾矿坝，U污染程度：山南矿区<尾矿坝<水冶厂。研究区采集的农作物中Pb、Cd、Cr、Cu、U含量均超出限值标准，其中Pb超标最严重；大多数农作物均表现对U较高的富集特征。三个研究区农作物中重金属健康风险处于Ⅲ级中风险至Ⅳ级中-高风险之间，农作物污染程度以尾矿坝最为严重。矿工以及子女的健康状况不容乐观，癌症发病率：矽肺病>肺癌>肝癌。.项目已发表论文8篇，其中核心期刊6篇；全国会议论文1篇；获得专利授权2项；专利受理4项；构建了二项铀废液处理工艺模型。研究成果获得生命科学大赛全国一等奖1项，全国大学生“挑战杯”国赛铜奖1项，国赛累进创新奖1项，“挑战杯”省赛二等奖2项；江西省科技厅、教育厅等九家单位联合举办的第二届江西省公共安全创新创业大赛省二等奖1项并在表彰大会上成功进行了成果对接。项目的研究成果可以对铀矿区的环境治理、疾病预防以及相关标准、法规的制定提供科学依据，对矿区农作物的安全生产具有重要指导意义。