Uranium, Polonium-218, and Polonium-214 Concentrations in Serum Samples of Cancer Patients at Al-Najaf Governorate

This research examines the concentrations of uranium (UC), polonium of POW (218Po and 214Po on the wall of the irradiation container), and polonium of POS (218Po and 214Po on the surface of the irradiation container) in serum samples of male and female cancer patients and health human in the Al-Najaf Governorate of Iraq. UC, 218Po, and 214Po were determined using a track detector technique with a CR-39 detector. The mean values of UC for male and female cancer patients were 0.110 ± 0.024 ppb and 0.099 ± 0.013 ppb, respectively. The POW's average values for male and female cancer patients were 3.885 ± 2.132 Bqm-3 and 2.958 ± 1.146 Bqm-3, respectively while the mean values of POS for male and female cancer patients were 0.702 ± 0.386 Bqm-3 and 0.535 ± 0.207 Bqm-3, respectively. The results show that the mean concentrations of UC, 218Po, and 214Po are significantly higher (p < 0.001) in male and female cancer patient groups compared with the healthy group. Also, the mean values of UC, 218Po, and 214Po concentrations do not correlate with variables for male and female patient groups. Therefore, the concentrations of UC, 218Po, and 214Po in cancer patients and healthy groups in the present study were not significant in terms of gender. According to the ICRP and WHO report, the concentrations of uranium and polonium in all samples of the current study were within the accepted limits (uranium = 0.810 ppb) and (polonium = 550 Bqm-3), So the serum samples of male and female cancer patients and healthy in the Al-Najaf Governorate of Iraq were not contaminated with uranium.