Health Risks of Uranium Mining: A Nova Scotian Perspective

Steve MacLellan uranium

Uranium mining presents a range of health risks, largely due to exposure to radon gas, its radioactive decay products, and other occupational hazards. While lung cancer is the most well-established health consequence, evidence also links uranium mining to other cancers and non-cancerous health conditions.

In Nova Scotia, public awareness of radon exposure is growing. Thanks to support from the Lung Association of Nova Scotia, library members can now borrow radon detector kits from their local public libraries. These detectors are designed for short-term testing and should not replace the long-term testing recommended by Health Canada. Due to the limited loan period, these devices are intended to give homeowners a general sense of the radon levels in their living space.

A mapping tool is also available—resembling the example shown on the left—which highlights areas across Nova Scotia with higher potential for indoor radon exposure. This application helps residents understand their relative risk and make informed decisions about their home environment.

The National Library of Medicine outlines several potential human health impacts of uranium mining, processing, and site reclamation.

Here's a closer look at the risks:

1. Lung Cancer

Extensive research, including studies involving Eldorado uranium miners and miners in the Czech Republic, has documented the high risk of lung cancer from uranium mining. Saskatchewan, home to the world's highest-grade uranium mines, has implemented advanced safety practices. If uranium mining were to be proposed in Nova Scotia, it would likely be modeled after Saskatchewan’s operations. Government reports claim that miners there are adequately protected from cancer risks.

However, this has not always been the case. Studies of Navajo uranium miners have shown alarmingly high relative risks for lung cancer, with some findings indicating more than a 14-fold increase compared to unexposed individuals. This elevated risk stems from prolonged exposure to radon gas and its radioactive decay products.

Radon is an odourless, colourless radioactive gas that occurs naturally in the environment as a result of the radioactive decay of uranium in soils and rocks. Radon decays through a series of very short-lived elements (polonium-218, lead-214, bismuth-214 and polonium-214) called radon decay products. RDP are not gases, but solid electrically charged particulates that will become suspended in the air, most attaching to dust particles or the surface of solid materials; some may remain unattached. Both attached and unattached fractions may be inhaled. If deposited in the lungs these decay products emit alpha radiation and possibly damaging the living cells lining the lung.
~ Canada government

2. Other Cancers:

Some studies suggest that uranium exposure may be linked to an elevated risk of cancers beyond the lungs, including cancers of the stomach, digestive system, hematopoietic system, kidneys, and extrathoracic regions.

Extrathoracic cancer refers to cancer that has spread outside of the chest cavity (thora) to other parts of the body. This can occur through metastasis, where cancer cells from a primary tumor in the chest travel to other sites. Common examples of extrathoracic cancers in lung cancer patients include bone, brain, liver, and distant lymph node metastases. Extrathoracic metastasis is a significant factor in lung cancer prognosis, with the 5-year survival rate for metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) being only 9%.
~ Cleveland Clinic

While the link between radon decay products and extrathoracic cancers has been observed in some studies, the statistical significance is sometimes limited.

3. Non-Cancerous Health Effects:

  • Studies have indicated that uranium exposure may be linked to kidney damage.
  • Some research suggests a connection between uranium exposure and increased incidence of hypertension, heart disease, and autoimmune diseases.
  • The Public Health Statement for Uranium notes that kidney damage has been observed in humans and animals after inhaling or ingesting uranium compounds.
  • Additionally, uranium can be deposited in bone, liver, and kidneys, and some studies have indicated that uranium exposure may increase the risk of hypertension, heart disease, and autoimmune diseases.

4. Specific Case Studies and Examples:

Numerous case studies illustrate the real-world impact of uranium exposure. These include the Navajo and Eldorado miners, Czech miners in Příbram, and workers in a French uranium processing facility. One Canadian example comes from Port Hope, Ontario.

In Port Hope, a troubling case study emerged that pointed to increased rates of brain and other cancers—suggesting potential consequences of uranium-related activity in the region.

“…the patterns of several cancer rates show cause for concern in that the patterns are consistent with environmental contamination. Certainly the raised leukemia rates, which were even higher before remediation are not reassuring. 100 more female deaths than expected in the 1986–97 period due to circulatory disease… surprise finding requires further scrutiny. Findings suggest children experienced high cancer rates, particularly before 1986. The findings taken together show a pattern that is quite suggestive of an excess of brain cancer in Port Hope. Along with the brain cancer, colon cancer and some of the rare cancer results, the available evidence points to there being problems in Port Hope.”

This case highlighted a lack of government oversight and poor safety standards, putting community members at risk.

5. Key Considerations:

Exposure to radon decay products remains the primary risk factor for lung cancer in uranium miners. The health impacts of uranium mining are complex and influenced by a variety of environmental and occupational variables. Despite efforts, Nova Scotians have historically struggled to receive adequate government support for addressing safety concerns and performing comprehensive risk assessments.

Given this history, the most prudent course of action for Nova Scotia is clear: reject any future proposals for uranium mining.