Determination of Alpha Particles Levels in Blood Samples of Cancer Patients at Karbala Governorate, Iraq

Abstract

<strong><em>Introduction:</em></strong> Alpha particle emitters are very damaging and harmful when entering into the human body ,if ingested or inhaled , swallowed or absorbed into the lungs or bloodstream . Uranium (²³⁸U), Radium (²²⁶Ra) and Radon (²²²Rn) are typical alpha-particle emitters. <strong><em>Material and Methods:</em></strong> we measured the level of alpha particles emitted from ²²²Rn, ²²⁶Ra, and ²³⁸U in blood samples of 10 cancer patients diagnosed using solid-state nuclear track detector. The samples were collected from hospitals located in Karbala Governorate of Iraq. This study was carried out between October and December 2017. Alpha particles concentrations of the collected blood samples were estimated in patient and control groups. <strong><em>Results:</em></strong> The mean concentrations of radon, radium, and uranium concentration were 64.3±25.92 Bq/m³, 3.1±1.24 Bq/kg and 1.4±0.58 ppm, respectively. Also, the results showed that radon concentrations, activity concentrations of radon, radium concentrations, and uranium concentrations were significantly higher in the patient group compared to the controls (P<0.05). <strong><em>Conclusion: </em></strong>It was found that radon concentrations in all the studied blood samples were within the allowed limit according to International Commission on Radiological Protection and International Atomic Energy Agency (200 Bq/m³), except for sample C4(male, type of cancer is colon) that had a value of 265.15±18.94 Bq/m³.