Studies on Environmental Contamination by Uranium 5. Uranium Contents in Daily Diet and in Human Urine from Several Populations around a Uranium Mine in Okayama Prefecture.
Uranium contents of daily diets and of human urine are examined from inhabitants around a uranium mine and its refinery (Ten-no and Nakatsugo hamlets, Kamisaibara Village, Okayama Pref.). Those from Ukainishi and Tomiyoshi areas (Mitsu and Tsudaka Town, Okayama Pref.) are served as controls. The daily diet and human urine was randomly collected in each area. Uranium was assayed by solid fluorimetry after ashing. The means of uranium contents in diet from Ten-no and Nakatsugo were 4.55 and 2.86 μg/day/person, respectively, while the means from control areas were 1.02 (Ukainishi) and 0.86 (Tomiyoshi) μg/day/person. Urinary uranium levels from Ten-no and Nakatsugo were 0.14 and 0.07 μg/day/person, respectively, while it was 0.01 μg/day/person in both control areas. No seasonal variations were observed in both dietary and urinary uranium of two test areas nor those of control areas.