Eastern India's public health discourse has been rocked by the recent discovery that detectable levels of uranium have been discovered in mothers' breast milk in some areas of Bihar. Experts have cautioned that similar environmental and public health dangers cannot be completely ruled out because uranium reserves and, consequently, uranium-bearing geology are prevalent in various districts of Odisha.
Soil, Rocks, and Potentially Water Uranium
Uranium traces were found in several Odisha districts, including Sundergarh, Sambalpur, Bargarh, Jharsuguda, Deogarh, Kalahandi, Mayurbhanj, and Jajpur, according to a historic study conducted in 2008 by the Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration & Research (AMD).

The survey found uranium at 19 and 12 different places, respectively, especially in Sambalpur and Sundergarh. Officials at the time had noted the 'possibility' that Odisha could emerge as a key uranium-bearing region after states such as Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.
Because of this geologic backdrop, researchers believe there is a genuine chance that uranium, which is found naturally in rock and soil, could seep into groundwater or be absorbed by crops, particularly in mineral-rich zones and places with mining or land-disturbance activity.

The Consequences of the Bihar Breast-Milk Study
The recent breast-milk contamination study in Bihar found that uranium eaten, likely via water and food, may be passed, in trace-amounts, to newborns via lactation. Long-term exposure, particularly in early life, may put renal function, bone development, and other long-term health outcomes at risk, even though the presence of uranium in breast milk does not always result in illness.
The same mechanisms of exposure that seem to exist in Bihar may also function in Odisha, particularly in uranium-bearing districts, since uranium in the environment depends on geology, mining activity, and water-use patterns rather than administrative boundaries.Why Odisha May Be at Risk and What's Still Unknown
Widespread geology containing uranium: According to the 2008 assessment, uranium is present in at least eight districts throughout Odisha's mining belt, proving that it is not limited to one or two areas.
Overlap with mineral and mining areas: The history of mining (iron ore, bauxite, and other minerals) and land disturbance in many of Odisha's uranium-bearing areas raises the possibility of uranium mobilization into soil or water, potentially polluting agricultural products or water sources.

Absence of biomonitoring data: There is currently no known, publicly accessible, peer-reviewed study that reports uranium in breast milk (or other human biological samples) from Odisha, in contrast to the recent study in Bihar. This gap indicates that although the risk is conceivable, it has not been confirmed.
Changing patterns of land and water use: As farming, irrigation, mining, and industrial operations grow, soil and rock strata may be more disturbed, which could hasten uranium leaching into groundwater. Without thorough environmental and public-health surveillance, this may pose a rising risk.

Public health experts contend that Odisha should view the Bihar finding as a warning sign rather than a reason to panic. Instead, they should take proactive measures, such as testing groundwater, soil, and locally grown food crops for uranium and other heavy-metal/radionuclide contamination, particularly in the eight uranium-bearing districts.

"A Quiet Danger to Society" The silent character of uranium is what really poses a threat. Common people may ingest it without realizing it because there are no symptoms to warn them of the dangers. Exposure to uranium is frequently undetectable, colorless in water, tasteless in food, and can subtly infiltrate the body long before anybody notices a problem. Long-term, unintentional uranium consumption can be dangerous even at low amounts because it can harm the kidneys and bones.

According to a physicist stationed in Bhubaneswar, "infants, pregnant women, and rural families who primarily rely on local sources can be disproportionately affected when uranium slowly seeps into groundwater or crops."
The physicist told OTV, "Uranium exposure is an invisible, unseen threat to society."

Therefore, in order to determine real exposure, biological samples from people of high-risk areas must be collected and analyzed.