Uranium in breastmilk: A new scientific study has detected uranium in the breastmilk of lactating women in several districts of Bihar, raising concerns over potential health risks to infants, even as researchers stress that breastfeeding should continue.
The study, conducted on 40 randomly selected lactating mothers from different parts of the state, found that the uranium-238 isotope was present in every breastmilk sample tested. The research was carried out by a team from multiple institutions, including AIIMS Delhi.
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Speaking to ANI, Dr Ashok Sharma of AIIMS Delhi, a co-author of the study, said the analysis showed uranium in all samples, and health risk calculations indicated that around 70% of the infants could be at risk of non-carcinogenic health effects based on hazard quotient (HQ) values greater than 1.
However, he clarified that the actual uranium concentrations measured in breastmilk, in the range of 0 to 5.25 micrograms per litre, were still below internationally accepted limits and, within this range, were likely to have a low real-world health impact on both mothers and babies.
The study found variations in contamination levels between districts. Khagaria recorded the highest average uranium levels in breastmilk, while the single highest value in an individual sample was reported from Katihar. Infants are particularly vulnerable to such exposure because their organs are still developing and their ability to eliminate heavy metals from the body is limited.
Researchers warned that long-term exposure to uranium in early life may affect kidney development and could potentially harm neurological and cognitive outcomes, including reduced IQ and neurodevelopmental delays, if such exposure continues over extended periods.
Despite these findings, the authors were clear that breastfeeding should not be discouraged. Dr Sharma said that most of the uranium absorbed by mothers is excreted primarily through urine and is not significantly concentrated in breastmilk. On the basis of the measured levels, the team concluded that the overall health impact on infants is likely to be low in the present context, and that breastmilk remains the safest and most complete source of nutrition for infants unless there is a specific medical reason to stop.
The World Health Organization has set a provisional guideline value of 30 micrograms per litre for uranium in drinking water, while some countries, including Germany, follow stricter limits of 10 micrograms per litre. In India, uranium contamination of groundwater has been reported from an estimated 151 districts in 18 states. In Bihar alone, around 1.7% of groundwater sources are thought to be affected.