Uranium toxicity and chelation therapy

Uranium toxicity has been a concern for more than 100 years. The toxicology of many forms of uranium, ranging from dust of several oxides to soluble uranyl ion, was thoroughly studied during the Manhattan Project in the United States in the 1940s. The development of depleted uranium kinetic penetrators as armor-piercing incendiary weaponry produced a novel form of uranium environmental contamination, which led to greater susceptibility to the adverse health effects of the toxic heavy metal after its use in various military conflicts. The aerosol from burning uranium penetrator fragments is rapidly dissolved in biological fluids and readily absorbed from the lungs, leading to a wide range of toxic effects. We have studied some chelating agents for uranyl ion, including citrate ion and desferal (desferrioxamine B), which may be effective for minimizing the toxic effects of this insidious heavy metal. Some characteristics of the desferrioxamine complex are presented, along with information about the use of citrate as an effective chelating agent for therapy of uranium toxicity.