AN expert panel has determined there is “negligible risk” of adverse health effects for Moonbi, Kootingal and Bendemeer residents exposed to raised levels of uranium in their drinking water.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The NSW Health uranium expert panel was formed in response to the revelation a Kootingal bore had tested positive to elevated levels of uranium for “many decades”.
The panel said despite little information on long-term exposure, the evidence suggested detectable kidney damage may occur at levels above 0.1 milligrams per litre.
Tamworth Regional Council’s water director Bruce Logan said council testing didn’t get anywhere near that figure.
“I think 0.042 was the highest we got to,” Mr Logan said.
“That's important to recognise that a factor of 10 less than 0.1.”
The panel said there was no clinical or historical evidence of increased levels of kidney disease in any of the impacted communities.
The situation was believed to be the first of its kind in the state. The panel acknowledged there was limited scientific data on the health effects of uranium, with most studies focusing on the inhalation and occupational exposure.
However, there are some cross-sectional studies of communities with elevated uranium levels in drinking water the panel was able to refer to. Hunter New England Health public health physician Dr David Durrheim hoped the community could take some reassurance from the panel's advice.
“While I appreciate that this has been quite stressful, the panel is comprised of experts in the field who have been able to provide a solid conclusion,” Dr Durrheim.
“If anybody in the community has any health concerns they should speak to their GP in the first instance.”
There will be a community meeting at Kootingal Bowling Club on Thursday, October 27, at 7pm.
However, representatives from the expert panel, Hunter New England Heath or NSW Health will not be present.
“They’ve asked us to convey their fact sheet which has answers to the frequently asked questions,” Mr Logan said. “If there are questions not answered by the fact sheet or media release, they've asked us to record them and pass them on to the expert panel.”
The panel had public health physicians, a toxicologist, a cancer epidemiologist and a nephrologist.