Serum potassium and sodium levels and nutrient intake in population exposed to radiation from the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site

Bjørklund G. Semenova Y.
2025 Springer Science and Business Media B.V.

BioMetals
2025

The relationship between serum electrolyte levels and nutrient intake in environmentally exposed populations has received little attention in the international literature. This study aimed to investigate serum potassium and sodium levels and nutrient intake in populations exposed to radiation from the former Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site compared with non-exposed populations. A cross-sectional study was conducted in four settlements of East Kazakhstan and Pavlodar provinces, with three classified as exposed and one as non-exposed. A total of 907 adults with lifelong residency were enrolled, and exposure status was verified using official residency documents and the state automated medical registry. Dietary intake was assessed using the validated EPIC-Norfolk Food Frequency Questionnaire, and fasting blood samples were collected to measure serum potassium and sodium using ion-selective electrodes. Compared with the non-exposed group, exposed individuals reported significantly lower consumption of nearly all macro- and micronutrients, except for vitamin A. Serum potassium levels did not differ significantly between groups (median 4.3 mmol/l, p = 0.337), whereas median serum sodium levels were significantly higher in the non-exposed group (141 vs. 140 mmol/l, p = 0.02). The sodium-to-potassium ratio was not significantly different between groups (32.56 in exposed vs. 32.79 in non-exposed, p = 0.156). Correlation analysis showed a moderate positive association between serum sodium levels and sodium intake (rho = 0.495, p < 0.001), and a strong positive association between sodium and potassium intake (rho = 0.642, p < 0.001). These findings underscore the need for further investigation into dietary patterns and possible physiological adaptations in environmentally exposed populations.

Environmentally exposed population , Food frequency questionnaire , Kazakhstan , Nutrient intake , Potassium , Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site , Sodium

Text of the article Перейти на текст статьи

Council for Nutritional and Environmental Medicine (CONEM), Toften 24, Mo i Rana, 8610, Norway
Semey Medical University, Semey, Kazakhstan
Nazarbayev University School of Medicine, Astana, Kazakhstan

Council for Nutritional and Environmental Medicine (CONEM)
Semey Medical University
Nazarbayev University School of Medicine

10 лет помогаем публиковать статьи Международный издатель

Книга Публикация научной статьи Волощук 2026 Book Publication of a scientific article 2026