Study In Bihar Finds Uranium In Breastmilk. Top Scientist Punctures Scare

In a reassuring statement that addresses concern over a study that found uranium in the breastmilk of lactating mothers in Bihar, a senior scientist and member of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has said the study's findings pose no public health concern, and that the uranium detected in Bihar samples is far below the World Health Organization's permissible threshold.

Nuclear scientist Dr Dinesh K Aswal, a member of NDMA and former group director of Bhabha Atomic Research Center, told NDTV in an exclusive interview that the study's findings are no cause for concern. "The levels detected are well within safe limits. In fact, the World Health Organization's permissible threshold in drinking water is nearly six times higher than what has been observed." 

A group of scientists from Mahavir Cancer Sansthan and Research Center, Patna, Lovely Professional University and AIIMS, New Delhi, conducted a study in Bihar. A report in the British journal 'Scientific Reports' says the study found up to 5 ppb (parts per billion) of uranium in breastmilk samples from Bihar. Dr Ashok Sharma of AIIMS Delhi, a co-author of the study, told news agency ANI, "The study analysed breast milk from 40 lactating mothers and found uranium (U-238) in all samples. Although 70% of infants showed potential non-carcinogenic health risk, the overall uranium levels were below permissible limits and are expected to have minimal actual health impact on both mothers and infants."

Long-term uranium exposure can have very harmful health effects on infants, but Dr Sharma said the Bihar study's findings conclude that the actual impact on infant health is likely low, and said women must continue to breastfeed babies.

Dr Aswal stressed, "There is absolutely no reason for alarm. Mothers can and should continue to breastfeed their children without hesitation." The WHO safe threshold for uranium in drinking water is 30 ppb, six times the content found in the Bihar samples. Tiny amounts of uranium are found naturally in soil worldwide. Also, most of the uranium consumed by lactating mothers is excreted via urine, and only a minuscule amount is found in the breastmilk.

The Study

The study led by Dr Arun Kumar of Mahavir Cancer Sansthan and Research Center, Bihar, suggests that in recent years, groundwater uranium poisoning has posed serious health hazards to the exposed population. In India, an estimated 151 districts and 18 states are reported with groundwater uranium contamination, it states.

"The objective of the study is to evaluate the uranium contamination in the breastmilk of lactating mothers and their breastfed infants. To evaluate the uranium exposure in the infants exposed through their mother's breastmilk, n=40 lactating women were selected randomly from different districts of Bihar. After obtaining the written informed consent, their breast milk was collected and analysed for quantification of U238.

"The infants and their mother's carcinogenic risk (CR) and hazard quotient (HQ) were also studied to know the potential health hazard effects of uranium. The uranium exposure to the infants through their mother's breastmilk is at a hazardous level. All the analysed breastmilk samples had U238 contents, which could pose health impacts to infants. The infants are highly vulnerable to potential non-carcinogenic risk in comparison to their mothers due to the real-time uranium elimination from their bodies. The study reveals that the uranium content in the breast milk was significantly high," it states.

The report said there is a need to biomonitor uranium exposure in these regions at a broader level.

Context and Scientific Basis

Breast milk is universally recognised as the gold standard for infant nutrition. It provides essential nutrients, antibodies, and bioactive compounds critical for growth and immunity. Global health bodies, including WHO and UNICEF, recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months and continued breastfeeding up to two years or beyond.

The recent study, which examined trace elements in breast milk samples, found concentrations significantly below international safety benchmarks.

Why This Matters

Public anxiety often spikes when scientific findings are misinterpreted or presented without context. Dr Aswal's intervention aims to prevent misinformation from influencing maternal decisions. "Breastfeeding is not just a nutritional act; it is a public health imperative. Discontinuing it based on unfounded fears could harm both mother and child," he cautioned.

Experts agree that the benefits of breastfeeding far outweigh hypothetical risks from trace environmental exposure. Breastfed infants have lower rates of infections, obesity, and chronic diseases later in life. For mothers, breastfeeding reduces the risk of breast and ovarian cancers.

Global Perspective

The WHO's safety limit for the element in question is six times higher than the levels detected in the Bihar study. This margin provides a robust safety cushion. International research corroborates that such trace presence is common and typically reflects environmental background levels rather than acute contamination.

Dr Aswal highlighted the importance of evidence-based communication: "Science must guide public health decisions, not fear. Our findings reaffirm that breastfeeding remains completely safe."