Effect of gender and occupations on uranium concentration in human blood and soil samples collected from Babylon, Iraq

Uranium concentrations of human blood and soil samples have been studied at different ages and occupations in Babylon, Iraq. The technique of nuclear track detectors CR 39 with nuclear fission track analysis has been used to determine the uranium concentrations in this study. Results have shown that the concentrations of uranium ranged from 0.56 ± 0.06 to 1.24 ± 0.29 ppb with an average of 0.83 ± 0.18 ppb in blood samples. On the other hand, the concentrations of uranium in soil samples ranged from 0.93 ± 0.20 to 2.59 ± 0.15 ppm with an average of 1.72 ± 0.19 ppm. Moreover, the highest averages of concentration have been found in the city center of Babylon, reaching 1.09 ± 0.22 ppb and 2.10 ± 0.23 ppm in blood and soil samples, respectively. The results have further proved that gender and occupations have an effect in increasing the concentrations of uranium. In addition, the concentrations in blood samples are generally lower than the concentration in soil samples.

Determination of Depleted Uranium Concentration and Histopathological Changes in Local Iraqi Fish and Chickens

This study aimed to determine the concentration of depleted uranium and the main histopathological changes in local fish and chickens at a selected Iraqi area suspected to be polluted with uranium. Different locations of Al-Tuwaitha region (Southern of Baghdad) were surveyed randomly to collect a total of 15 samples from each animal species. The animals were sacrificed and dissected at the site of collection. Muscle samples were collected to determine uranium concentrations using nuclear fission track analysis with CR-39 detectors. For histopathological changes, sample tissues from fish (liver, gills, and kidney) and chickens (liver, kidney, and lung) were collected and fixed in 10% neutral buffered formalin. The results showed that there was a significant elevation in uranium concentration in both fish and chicken muscles (1.94±0.77 µg/Kg and 2.19±0.82 µg/Kg, respectively) compared with recommended uranium concentration. Histopathological examination showed several effects included congestion and thickening of blood vessels walls, vacuolation, necrosis, fibrosis and inflammatory cells infiltration in most tissue section of collected organs. In conclusion, the uranium residues that found in both fish and chicken meats could raise the concerns about consumption of both animal species that had been bred in Al-Tuwaitha, and could be an indicator of environmental pollution with uranium in this region.