The Effects of Inhaled Uranium Mine Air Contaminants in Beagle Dogs

Abstract

The high incidence of lung cancer among uranium miners of the Colorado plateau is a matter of national concern in a period of increasing demand for uranium ore. These miners are exposed to a variety of inhalation hazards, including radon daughters, uranium ore dust, and cigarette smoking, that may cause or contribute to respiratory tract pathology. Over 98% of the miners developing lung cancer have had histories of cigarette smoking.

In order to determine the combined or separate roles of radon daughters and cigarette smoking in the development of lung cancer and other respiratory tract pathology, groups of 20 dogs each received daily life span exposures to 4 hours of 600 Working Levels of radon daughters with ore dust, and/or cigarette smoking over 16 hours per day, 7 days per week, or both; control dogs received sham smoking. After 4 years of exposure, respiratory tract pathology included macrophage accumulation, septal fibrosis, epithelial hyperplasia, endothelial proliferation, vesicular and bullous emphysema, and extensive epithelial changes involving squamous metaplasia with atypical nuclei. These effects were primarily related to exposure to radon daughters and uranium ore dust, with and without cigarette smoke.