Uranium’s Effect On DNA Established

May 10th, 2006 at 17:19 Björn Hallberg

Like many have noted, it is not the radioactive properties that are the main problem. Rather the qualities of a heavy metal, acting like heavy metals usually do. All that remains now is to look into uranium oxide and the downwind effect. But suffice it to say, the U.S. and indeed any state that carelessly processes uranium for weapons or fuel may be in for a cold shower.

Now however, Northern Arizona University biochemist Diane Stearns has established that when cells are exposed to uranium, the uranium binds to DNA and the cells acquire mutations, triggering a whole slew of protein replication errors, some of which can lead to various cancers. Stearns’ research, published in the journals Mutagenesis and Molecular Carcinogenesis, confirms what many have suspected for some time - that uranium can damage DNA as a heavy metal, independently of its radioactive properties. “Essentially, if you get a heavy metal stuck on DNA, you can get a mutation,” Stearns explained. While other heavy metals are known to bind to DNA, Stearns and her team were the first to identify this characteristic with uranium.

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