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Abstract
From 1951 to 1989, the Fernald Feed Materials Production Center released uranium dust into the atmosphere and groundwater, resulting in contamination of the surrounding rural area. Residents expressed multiple health concerns, one of which was thyroid health. Little research has examined the effects of uranium exposure and autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) in the general population. The Fernald Resident Medical Monitoring Program (FMMP) provides a unique opportunity to examine the presence of AITD among a cohort of adults with individually estimated airborne uranium exposure. The purpose of this work is to evaluate the association between uranium exposure and AITD. Demonstration of an association would alert FMMP physicians to be especially aware of thyroid health among participants who live or have lived in the Fernald area leading to early detection and treatment.