Bihar shocker: Presence of uranium in breast milk, serious health problems if exposure is excessive 

NEW DELHI: A study conducted in six districts of Bihar has found the presence of uranium in breast milk. Uranium was found in 40 lactating women aged 17-35 in Bhojpur, Samastipur, Begusarai, Khagaria, Katihar and Nalanda districts of Bihar in a study conducted from October 2021 to July 2024. Dr Ashok Sharma of AIIMS Delhi, who was part of the study team, said that the presence of uranium was found in all the samples. The study report was published in the international journal Nature. The report also states that uranium may have entered the body through drinking water and food. The study was led by Dr Arun Kumar of Mahavir Cancer Institute and Research Center in Bihar.

However, health experts said that there is no need to worry about the presence of uranium in breast milk. The study says that uranium was found only at a lower level than the permissible level. Uranium was found in all samples at a concentration of 0 to 5.25 g/liter. Considering the nutritional value of breast milk, this is not dangerous. There is no exact figure for how much uranium is permissible in breast milk. The World Health Organization has clarified that up to 30 micrograms of uranium per liter is permissible in drinking water. Therefore, doctors say that the low amount of uranium in breast milk will not harm infants.

Excessive uranium exposure can impair the development of the kidneys and nervous system in infants. The findings of the study in Bihar do not pose a threat to public health, said Dr. Dinesh K. Aswal, National Disaster Management Authority.

The researchers noted that Bihar's environmental conditions further compound the problem. Overreliance on groundwater for drinking and irrigation, discharge of untreated industrial waste, and long-term use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides have already led to the presence of arsenic, lead, and mercury in biological samples. The presence of uranium in breast milk suggests that the contamination has reached the most vulnerable group, infants, the researchers noted.