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Alert! Breastmilk Samples ‘Highly’ Contaminated with Uranium in Six Bihar Districts, Shows Study—Are Babies at Risk?
A study by Mahavir Cancer Sansthan and AIIMS found uranium in all breastmilk samples from Bihar, with 70% of infants at risk of non-carcinogenic health effects, despite levels below safety limits.
- Mahavir Cancer Sansthan, Patna analysed breast milk from 40 lactating mothers and detected uranium in all samples, with highest individual levels in Katihar district and highest average in Khagaria district.
- Natural geology and human activities such as mining, coal burning, nuclear industry emissions, and phosphate fertiliser use can contaminate groundwater, and India has reported uranium contamination in 151 districts across 18 states with 1.7 per cent of groundwater sources in Bihar affected.
- Health‑risk analysis found about 70% of analysed infants could face non‑carcinogenic effects, and researchers said infants are vulnerable but uranium levels remain below permissible limits, so World Health Organization guidance supports continuing breastfeeding unless clinically indicated.
- Calls for continued biomonitoring of pollutants such as pesticides followed the study, noting the need for U‑238 monitoring in Bihar and plans to expand testing to other Indian states.
- Global research has found elevated uranium in multiple countries, and prior studies have not consistently shown clear clinical symptoms among exposed populations, while earlier work detected arsenic, lead and mercury in breast milk.
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Uranium found in breastmilk in Bihar. AIIMS doctor says levels within limits, but flags potential risk
Dr Ashok Sharma of AIIMS Delhi, co-author of the study, says more such studies will be conducted in other states to know about presence of heavy metals & impact on human health.
·New Delhi, India
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Uranium found in breastmilk of lactating mothers in Bihar, newborns at potential health risk
A recent study has uncovered alarming levels of uranium (U-238) in the breastmilk of lactating mothers across several districts in Bihar, raising serious concerns about potential health risks to infants. Researchers from multiple institutions warn that uranium exposure through breastfeeding could lead to significant non-carcinogenic health effects in young children. The study was conducted by Mahavir Cancer Sansthan, Patna, under the leadership …
·India
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Total News Sources16
Leaning Left0Leaning Right7Center2Last UpdatedBias Distribution78% Right
Bias Distribution
- 78% of the sources lean Right
78% Right
C 22%
R 78%
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