What are the health costs of uranium mining? A case study of miners in Grants, New Mexico.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Uranium mining is associated with lung cancer and other health problems among miners. Health impacts are related with miner exposure to radon gas progeny.

OBJECTIVES:

This study estimates the health costs of excess lung cancer mortality among uranium miners in the largest uranium-producing district in the USA, centered in Grants, New Mexico.

METHODS:

Lung cancer mortality rates on miners were used to estimate excess mortality and years of life lost (YLL) among the miner population in Grants from 1955 to 2005. A cost analysis was performed to estimate direct (medical) and indirect (premature mortality) health costs.

RESULTS:

Total health costs ranged from $2·2 million to $7·7 million per excess death. This amounts to between $22·4 million and $165·8 million in annual health costs over the 1955-1990 mining period. Annual exposure-related lung cancer mortality was estimated at 2185·4 miners per 100 000, with a range of 1419·8-2974·3 per 100 000.

CONCLUSIONS:

Given renewed interest in uranium worldwide, results suggest a re-evaluation of radon exposure standards and inclusion of miner long-term health into mining planning decisions.

• Authors: Benjamin A Jones
• Journal: International journal of occupational and environmental health (Int J Occup Environ Health) Vol. 20 Issue 4 Pg. 289-300 (Oct 2014) ISSN: 2049-3967 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 25224806 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Uranium
• Radon

Topics

• Aged
• Health Care Costs (statistics & numerical data)
• Humans
• Lung Neoplasms (economics, etiology, mortality)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Mining (economics)
• New Mexico (epidemiology)
• Occupational Diseases (economics, etiology, mortality)
• Radon (adverse effects)
• Uranium (adverse effects)