Uranium and other alpha emitting nanoparticulates : the forgotten pollutant Florent Pirot

Florent Pirot (1)

1 Chercheur indépendant

Background : Depleted uranium use in weapons is certainly one of the main reasons, together with contamination from uranium mines and nuclear reactor explosions, why the health effects of uranium and other alpha emitters have not been researched with enough public funding. Methods : The regional variations in epidemiological data available for a number of illnesses in developed countries are correlated with variations of natural radioactivity. This is compared with evolutions in countries where the use of depleted uranium is known (using WHO DALYs for 2000 - 2015). Results : There is a direct correlation of these diseases with levels of natural radioactivity which can be linked with the explosion of these illnesses after depleted uranium bombings in countries like Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Conclusions : The impact of alpha emitters was never taken in account in studies on pesticides, endocrine disruptors, lead, etc, which means that the dangerosity was likely associated with these non radioactive contaminants mistakenly. The very high kinetic energy of helium nucleii from alpha decay explains the dangerosity of uranium and other alpha emitters even at low levels of contamination. It is able to damage any vital function of the body from the inside as nanoparticulates travel through nerves, blood, lymph. It is capable to damage the genetic content of gamets in gonads through the same mechanism and create birth defects. It is in fact the main factor of genetic evolution (some changes may be positive and be kept through natural selection).

Domaines: Cancer; Génétique; Médecine humaine et pathologie

Florent Pirot. Uranium and other alpha emitting nanoparticulates : the forgotten pollutant Florent Pirot. 2018. ⟨hal-01786377v1⟩