During the Cold War, uranium (U) ore was mined on the Colorado Plateau, which overlaps the majority of the Navajo Nation. The U mining boom led to various mining sites across the Navajo Nation including Cameron, AZ where open pit mining occurred. The legacy of U mining has led to community concern of exposure from U, arsenic [As], and other mining-related potential toxins. Research at Northern Arizona University (NAU) is focused on health risks and community impacts (e.g., consumption issues, public health impacts) from exposure to environmental U contamination. Two areas of interest to the community are their water sources and traditional food. Prior work has provided information on the U, As, and other elemental chemistries of the livestock water wells in the research field site. These results have shown elevated levels of U, As, and other elements in the water. Additionally, the Navajo raise sheep on their lands and consume most of the tissues and organs as mutton is a traditional food to the Navajo. The purpose of the current project is to determine U concentrations in sheep target organs (e.g., kidney, liver) with respect to the grazing of the animals on or near abandoned mines near Cameron, AZ. The sheep kidney and liver samples were collected, dried, homogenized, powdered, acidified, filtered, diluted, and analyzed using an inductively couple plasma mass spectrometer (ICPMS). The non-parametric statistical analysis suggests that there is a difference between the site of interest (Cameron) and the reference site, which is in non-mining area on the Navajo Reservation. The results of this project will inform policy with respect to traditional foods and U accumulation and inform community members on the Navajo Nation.

Uranium levels in traditional food and unregulated water sources on the Navajo Nation

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