When radionuclides enter our organism, whether by inhalation, ingestion, or through wounds, they pose a potential health risk. Many previous studies on radionuclide exposure have focused mainly on animal experiments. However, we have little data on toxicity at the cellular and molecular level.
Kidney cells are of particular interest because in mammals they play a central role in the detoxification of bivalent, trivalent, and hexavalent radionuclides as well as other heavy metals via urinary excretion.
A team from the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) and TU Dresden has now found a different picture, as the researchers report in the journal Science of the Total Environment.
Since radioactive heavy metals naturally occur in the earth’s crust, geological processes such as weathering and erosion can release them into water, soil, and air. Over the past 60 years, industrial, medical, and research use of radionuclides has also increased significantly.
In particular, mining, accidents in nuclear power plants, and leaks in containment systems can release these elements into the environment. Another, albeit less significant, factor contributing to the release of radionuclides is their use in the diagnostics and therapy of cancer.
“Acute or chronic exposure to radioactive heavy metals and their radio-