Fig. 1.
The preparation of blood samples.
Fig. 2.
Samples and detectors are exposed to a neutron flux [19].
Fig. 3.
(a) The nuclear tracks on the CR-39 detector captured under a microscope for healthy women. (b) The nuclear tracks on the CR-39 detector captured under a microscope for patient women.
Fig. 4.
The relationship between the uranium concentration of the standard blood samples and track density [24].
Table 1.
Levels of uranium in female patients’ blood samples
| Sample code | Age (years) | Cancer type | Uranium concentration (ppb) ± SD |
|---|---|---|---|
| CB01 | 33 | Breast | 2.681 ± 0.20 |
| CB02 | 36 | Breast | 3.259 ± 0.20 |
| CB03 | 46 | Breast | 1.918 ± 0.21 |
| CB04 | 42 | Breast | 2.024 ± 0.30 |
| CB05 | 70 | Breast | 2.541 ± 0.48 |
| CB06 | 34 | Breast | 2.444 ± 0.49 |
| CB07 | 42 | Breast | 2.260 ± 0.31 |
| CB08 | 45 | Breast | 2.628 ± 0.36 |
| CB09 | 45 | Breast | 2.374 ± 0.23 |
| CB10 | 44 | Breast | 2.199 ± 0.30 |
| CB11 | 25 | Breast | 2.742 ± 0.37 |
| CB12 | 45 | Breast | 2.812 ± 0.34 |
| CB13 | 67 | Breast | 2.462 ± 0.28 |
| CB14 | 26 | Breast | 2.216 ± 0.29 |
| CB15 | 27 | Breast | 2.345 ± 0.24 |
| CB16 | 28 | Breast | 2.516 ± 0.27 |
| Mean ± Std Error | 2.463 ± 0.30 |
Table 2.
Uranium levels in healthy women’s blood
| Sample code | Age (years) | Uranium concentration (ppb) ± SD |
|---|---|---|
| HB01 | 53 | 1.080 ± 0.34 |
| HB02 | 45 | 1.501 ± 0.28 |
| HB03 | 40 | 0.905 ± 0.33 |
| HB04 | 50 | 1.773 ± 0.43 |
| HB05 | 23 | 1.045 ± 0.28 |
| HB06 | 38 | 0.590 ± 0.22 |
| HB07 | 36 | 0.712 ± 0.27 |
| HB08 | 40 | 1.816 ± 0.43 |
| HB09 | 42 | 1.036 ± 0.37 |
| HB10 | 22 | 0.958 ± 0.28 |
| HB11 | 23 | 1.010 ± 0.28 |
| HB12 | 24 | 1.387 ± 0.27 |
| HB13 | 30 | 2.105 ± 0.27 |
| HB14 | 46 | 0.817 ± 0.24 |
| HB15 | 38 | 1.510 ± 0.24 |
| HB16 | 40 | 1.308 ± 0.28 |
| HB17 | 29 | 0.940 ± 0.26 |
| HB18 | 70 | 0.782 ± 0.30 |
| HB19 | 23 | 0.993 ± 0.31 |
| HB20 | 40 | 1.851 ± 0.35 |
| Mean ± Std Error | 1.200 ± 0.30 |
Fig. 5.
Mean uranium concentrations in healthy and cancer patients groups.
Table 3.
The comparison of the present work results with those from previous studies
| Country | Mean uranium concentration (ppb) | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Iraq/Babylon | 1.69 ± 0.31 ppb (leukemia patients) | [33] |
| 0.83 ppb (healthy group) | ||
| Iraq/Babylon | 1.02 ± 0.26 ppb (blood smokers) | [34] |
| 0.86 ± 0.17 ppb (non-smokers) | ||
| Iraq/Babylon | 1.24 ± 0.29 ppb | [35] |
| Russia | 0.04 mg/l (occupationally exposed workers) | [36] |
| United States | 0.025 mg/l | [37] |
| Iraq/Babylon | 2.463 ± 0.30 ppb (women with breast cancer) | Present work |
| 1.205 ± 0.30 ppb (women without breast cancer) |