Regional features of actinides deposition in kidney stones of patients with urolithiasis

Abstract

Uranium is one of the most studied actinoids, widely used in the nuclear industry, and can accumulate in drinking water, soil, plants, and calcium-containing body tissues. The purpose of the work was to investigate the presence of uranium isotopes U-235 and U-238 in the composition of kidney stones of patients with urolithiasis living in the Kharkiv region. The content of U-235 and U-238 was investigated in samples of kidney stones obtained as a result of minimally invasive surgical interventions for urolithiasis in 57 patients, residents of the Kharkiv region, using gamma activation analysis on a linear electron accelerator. According to the results of our research U-235 and U-238 were detected in 13 (27%) samples of calcium-containing kidney stones, the mineral composition of which was represented by calcium oxalate monohydrate (wevellite), calcium oxalate dihydrate (weddellite) and phosphate-calcium compounds (apatite, hydroxyapatite, fluorapatite, carbonateapatite). The content of the above-mentioned isotopes in the composition of kidney stones was equal to ~ 1 ppm (mkg/g). We concluded that timely treatment of urolithiasis will help minimize the toxic effect of uranium on kidney structures. Keywords: uranium, Kharkiv region, uroliths.