Determination of uranium concentration in blood samples of women with breast cancer in Babylon Province of Iraq using CR-39 nuclear track detector

Determination of uranium concentration in blood samples of women with breast cancer in Babylon Province of Iraq using CR-39 nuclear track detector | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Determination of uranium concentration in blood samples of women with breast cancer in Babylon Province of Iraq using CR-39 nuclear track detector Haider O. Essa, Khalid H. H. Al-Attiyah, Anees A. Al-Hamzawi This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3414273/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 29 Jun, 2024 Read the published version in Nukleonika → Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in Iraq, accounting for approximately 30% of all cancers diagnosed in women. It is also the leading cause of cancer death among women in Iraq. This scientific paper aims to determine the uranium levels in the blood samples collected from breast cancer patients and analyzed using the CR-39 track detector to measure uranium concentrations. Fission track etching technique with CR-39 detector is a non-destructive technique used to detect and measure the spatial distribution of neutron-induced fission events in solid materials. It is a powerful tool for various applications in nuclear physics, radiation dosimetry, environmental monitoring, and geochronology. The results show that the uranium concentration among the patient women varied from 3.259 ppb to 1.918 ppb, while the uranium concentration among the healthy women varied from 2.15 ppb to 0.59 ppb. Increased uranium concentration in patient groups compared to healthy groups is well-documented. This is thought to be due to exposure to uranium through the environment, workplace, or medical procedures. Uranium is a heavy metal that can accumulate in the body over time and cause several health problems, including cancer, kidney damage, and congenital disabilities. uranium levels breast cancer CR-39 the fission track human blood and the Babylon Province Figures Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 1. Introduction Radioactive elements such as uranium and its daughter nuclides may harm humans due to their toxicity and the ionizing radiation they emit. The 238 U isotope accounts for almost all the uranium in the natural world. After undergoing radioactive decay, it finally settles into its stable form, 206 Pb, after passing through a series of 13 radionuclides. The intermediate radionuclides are responsible for the emission of beta or alpha particles, and some are also responsible for the emission of gamma particles, although at a much lower energy [ 1 , 2 ]. Human activities, including phosphate fertilizer application, phosphate mining, atomic testing, uranium and the whole nuclear fuel cycle, are linked to radionuclide pollution [ 3 – 5 ]. Most naturally occurring radionuclides in rocks and soils may be found in relatively low amounts [ 4 ]. Like other uranium compounds, depleted uranium (DU) is produced as a byproduct of the uranium enrichment process. DU is mildly radioactive, with an activity of around 60% that of natural uranium. DU has various peaceful applications, such as radiation shielding for medical sources and aircraft counterweights. In addition to its employment in anti-tank bombs and missiles, DU is included in heavy tank armor. This is because of DU's high density, high melting point, and the fact that it "sharpens" as it breaks through armor [ 6 ]. In the Iraq War 2003, the Coalition Forces utilized munitions containing depleted uranium (DU). The fallout included the DU contamination of cars and soil in certain places. Iraqis and others across the globe are worried about the consequences DU residues might have on their health, especially if they live near the damaged regions [ 7 ]. Inhalation, ingestion, and skin puncture are the most common routes of uranium exposure. When inhaled, uranium particles settle in the bronchi and alveoli of the lungs [ 8 ]. The release of uranium from the bones and other organs into the bloodstream is linked to a wide variety of diseases and conditions[ 9 , 10 ], including cancer, skin diseases, congenital abnormalities, respiratory disorders, leukemia, kidney failure and even some diseases for which no cure has yet been discovered. Recent studies reveal that heavy metals like the radioactive nucleotide uranium cause oxidative stress by increasing the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) [ 11 , 12 ]. This oxidative stress is a fundamental contributor to genotoxicity, autophagy, apoptosis and DNA damage. On the other hand, a few circumstantial indications indicate that uranium may impede the DNA repair process. Exposure to uranium has been linked to DNA damage induction and repair disruption [ 13 , 14 ]. When determining the uranium content in a patient's blood, it is common practice to use a solid-state nuclear track detector [ 15 ]. According to Fleischer et al. hypotheses, solid-state track recording materials that were squeezed together and in contact with both films were exposed to thermal neutron irradiation [ 16 ], known as the fission-track technique. This method seems ideal for analyzing uranium levels in human blood for precise quantification. In this investigation, the CR-39 nuclear track detector will be used to compare the amounts of uranium in the blood of women diagnosed with breast cancer and a healthy control group. 2. Materials and Procedures 2.1 Study area The governorate of Babil, often known as the Babylon Province, is located in central Iraq. It has an area of 5,119 square kilometers and is home to an expected 2,065,042 inhabitants this year. Hillah, the province capital, is across the river from historic Babylon on the Euphrates [ 17 ]. 2.2 Sampling Blood For this research, patients with breast cancer (16 total) and healthy controls (20 total) were gathered from Imam Sadiq Hospital and the Babylon Oncology Center in Babylon Province. None of these women had ever been exposed to uranium in the workplace. They filled out a lengthy form asking about personal details like age, gender, and medical history. Table 1 shows a more even distribution of healthy and cancer-stricken females. The study followed the Declaration of Helsinki's [ 18 ] tenets of responsible research practice. The operation was performed with the patient's informed verbal and analytical permission. A local ethics committee had a chance to review the research protocol, subject information, and permission form, and they gave their stamp of approval (Babil Health Directorate). Table 1 Statistics of the women with and without cancer. women with cancer women without cancer Number of women 16 20 Age range/years 25–67 23–70 Average age/years 40.93 37.6 2.3 Methodology of the Experiment The experimental method for determining uranium content is identical to previously described [ 2 , 15 , 19 ]. In order to dry and oxidize organic material in blood samples, they were heated in a furnace at 100°C for approximately 13 min. Dry blood powder (weighing 0.5 grams) was combined with 0.1 grams of methylcellulose (C 6 H 10 O 5 ) to make the sample. One-centimeter-diameter, 1.5-mm-thick pellets were formed from the mixture. To induce latent damage in the detector from the 235 U (n, f) reaction, we coated together sides of the pellets with a CR-39 track detector and placed them in a paraffin wax plate 5 cm from an Am-Be neutron source, as shown in Fig. 1 . The pellets were subjected to a thermal flounce equal to 3.024 *10 9 n cm 2 for seven days. After radiation exposure, CR-39 detectors were heated to 60 degrees Celsius for 5 hours in a N = 6.25 NaOH solution. As shown in Fig. 2 , the density of the induced fission tracks was observed using an optical microscope at a magnification of 400x. Surface fission track densities were tested, and uranium was found to be evenly dispersed throughout all of them. 2.4 Estimations of uranium content The uranium concentration in the blood samples was determined by comparing the track densities recorded by CR-39 detectors around the sample pellet to those recorded by detectors around a standard pellet. The following relation can be used to calculate the concentration of uranium in blood samples using CR-39 detectors [ 21 , 22 ]: C x = C s \(\frac{{\rho }_{x}}{{\rho }_{s }}\) \(\frac{{I}_{s}}{{I}_{x}}\) \(\frac{{R}_{s}}{{R}_{x}}\) (1) where C s and C x are the uranium concentrations in (ppb) in standard and unknown samples, respectively; ρ s and ρ x represent the density of fission tracks in (tracks/mm 2 ) in standard and unknown samples, respectively; I s and I x represent the isotopic abundances of 238 U and 235 U in unknown and standard samples, respectively; Rs and Rx are the range depths of fission fragments in mg cm − 2 in the detectors covering the standard and unknown samples, respectively. The factors R s ∕ R x and I s ∕ I x are taken as unity [ 23 ]; hence, Eq. 1 turns into: C x = C s \(\frac{{\rho }_{x}}{{\rho }_{s }}\) (2) The relations of track density and uranium content in standard samples are shown in Fig. 3 . 2.5 Analysis of Statistics Version 26.0 of the SPSS program was used for the statistical processing and analysis. An independent t-test was carried out using the data from both groups to determine whether there was a statistically significant difference in the probability level (P). 3. Findings and Discussion Table 2 and Table 3 describe the uranium levels in the patients' and healthy women's blood samples, respectively. Table 2 displays the range of uranium levels between 1.918 ppb and 3.259 ppb. Table 3 shows that the average uranium content for this sample set is 2.463 ppb, with a range of 2.105 ppb to 0.59 ppb. This sample population has a mean uranium content of 1.205 parts per billion. Results showed that the average uranium concentration in the ill group's blood samples was twice that of the healthy group, corroborating their research [ 15 , 19 , 25 , 26 ]. Table 2 shows information that might suggest some young women had higher uranium levels than older women. However, no correlation was discovered between age and uranium levels in the blood of women with breast cancer. Uranium levels in women's blood may be affected by several variables, including exposure to contaminated water and food. Polluted air and soil, as well as contact with these substances, are environmental variables to consider. It is also worth noting that there are still uranium-containing bullet casings in certain parts of Baghdad from the country's wartime history [ 27 ]. Some battle relics are buried in the ground, vulnerable to chemical weathering and eventual corrosion. Schimmack et al. [ 28 ] looked at this scenario when they researched depleted uranium munitions in the soil of the former Yugoslavia. They demonstrated that uranium-238 leached from the soil is carried downward by precipitation, adding to the groundwater's uranium content. Drinking water from such a source might harm the resident's health [ 29 ]. Plants and trees in polluted regions may also take up uranium corrosion products [ 27 ]. A comparison of Tables 1 and 2 shows that the uranium content in the blood of women diagnosed with breast cancer is much higher than that of women without a diagnosis of breast cancer. We considered uranium toxicity a possible cause due to the correlation between higher uranium concentrations and breast cancer in women. Most uranium in the body is already bound to other chemicals that can be broken down and used elsewhere in the body. Uranyl ions are generated when tetravalent uranium is oxidized to hexavalent uranium in blood and other bodily fluids. It is common for uranium to form protein complexes in plasma, citrate, and bicarbonate [ 30 ] Table 2 Levels of uranium in female patients' blood samples. Sample code Age in years Uranium concentration in (ppb) ± S.D. CB 01 33 2.681 ± 0.20 CB 02 36 3.259 ± 0.20 CB 03 46 1.918 ± 0.21 CB 04 42 2.024 ± 0.30 CB 05 70 2.541 ± 0.48 CB 06 34 2.444 ± 0.49 CB 07 42 2.260 ± 0.31 CB 08 45 2.628 ± 0.36 CB 09 45 2.374 ± 0.23 CB 10 44 2.199 ± 0.30 CB 11 25 2.742 ± 0.37 CB 12 45 2.812 ± 0.34 CB 13 67 2.462 ± 0.28 CB 14 26 2.216 ± 0.29 CB 15 27 2.345 ± 0.24 CB 16 28 2.516 ± 0.27 Mean ± Std Error 2.463 ± 0.30 * CB represents cancer blood. Table 3 Uranium levels in healthy women's blood. Sample code Age in years Uranium concentration in (ppb) ± S.D. HB01 53 1.08 ± 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 0.59 ± 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 1.01 0.28 HB 12 24 1.387 ± 0.27 HB 13 30 2.105 ± 0.27 HB 14 46 0.817 ± 0.24 HB 15 38 1.51 ± 0.24 HB 16 40 1.308 ± 0.28 HB17 29 0.94 ± 0.26 HB 18 70 0.782 ± 0.30 HB19 23 0.993 ± 0.31 HB20 40 1.851 ± 0.35 Mean ± Std Error 1.205 ± 0.30 * HB represents healthy blood. A study found that women who were patients had significantly higher levels of uranium in their blood than healthy women. These findings may be explained by the fact that the environment in Iraq has been seriously damaged due to the first Gulf War in 1991 and the military operations to invade Iraq in 2003. These conflicts took place between the United States and Iraq. As a result, the levels of toxic metals in the environment have been steadily rising, negatively impacting the health of Iraqis and posing a threat to the environment [ 31 ]. The findings produced in this study were mostly compared to the data that had been previously published, which are shown in Table 4 . According to the results, the average uranium concentrations identified in the blood of women diagnosed with breast cancer in the present research are greater than those reported in prior studies. Military actions in Iraq, especially depleted uranium munitions, may have contributed to this elevated element level. Although natural uranium is more radioactive than depleted uranium, the health effects of both substances are the same. The study did not find a significant correlation between age and uranium levels in women with or without breast cancer. This may be due to other confounding variables like lifestyle, diet, and environmental exposure. Additionally, the 2003 invasion of Iraq damaged several nuclear research facilities, which may have contributed to the loss or dispersal of radiation sources [ 32 ]. This may have led to environmental pollution, which might have affected people of all ages. Table 4 Uranium concentrations in blood taken from people all around the world. Country Uranium concentration Reference Kosovo 7.99 ± 3.1 ng/l (Control Subjects) 12.76 ± 4.0 ng/l (Thermo Power Plant workers) [ 33 ] Russia 0.04 µg/l (Occupationally exposed workers) [ 34 ] Serbia 0.05–0.08 ng g − 1 (women) 0.03–0.07 ng g − 1 (men) [ 35 ] United States 0.025 µg/l [ 36 ] Argentina 0.06 ng/l (Pregnant women) [ 37 ] Iraq 2.463 ± 0.30 µg/l (women with breast cancer) 1.205 ± 0.30 µg/l (women without breast cancer) Present work 4. Conclusion The detection of noticeably higher concentrations of uranium in the blood samples of female patients compared to healthy individuals raises concerns about potential health risks. The implications include uranium toxicity, increased cancer risk, and reproductive effects. Further research is necessary to understand elevated uranium concentrations' causes, long-term effects, and gender-specific impacts. These findings emphasize the importance of proactive measures to minimize uranium exposure and protect public health. Declarations Acknowledgments First and foremost, we would like to express our gratitude to the doctors and nurses at the Imam Sadiq Hospital and the Babylon Cancer Center in Babylon province. In addition, we would like to use this opportunity to convey our appreciation to the individuals who donated blood to make this project a success. There are a variety of interests that need to be taken into account and reported, including but not limited to the following: Funding: The authors did not get any financial assistance or other support from any organization for the work that was submitted. Conflict of Interest: I declare that the authors have no competing interests Ethical approval: The principles mentioned in the Declaration of Helsinki were adhered to during this inquiry. The Ethics Committee of the Babil Health Directorate gave its go-ahead for the project. Informed consent: A Local Ethics Committee looked through the research protocol, as well as the details on the subjects and the consent form, and gave their stamp of approval (Babil Health Directorate). Author contribution: Each author made a significant contribution to the study's idea and design. [Haider O. Essa], [Khalid H. H. Al-Attiyah], and [Anees A. Al-Hamzawi] were the ones in charge of the material preparation, data collection, and analysis, respectively. The first version of the book was written by [Haider O. Essa], and all of the writers provided feedback on earlier drafts of the article. Each contributor was responsible for reading and approving the final draft. References Taboada, T., Martínez Cortizas, A., García, C., & García-Rodeja, E. (2006). Uranium and thorium in weathering and pedogenetic profiles developed on granitic rocks from NW Spain. Science of the Total Environment, 356(13). https://doi.org/10.1016/ j.scitotenv .2005.03.030 Sánchez-González, S., Curto, N., Caravantes, P., & García-Sánchez, A. (2014). Natural Gamma Radiation and Uranium Distribution in Soils and Waters in the Agueda River Basin (Spain-Portugal). Procedia Earth and Planetary Science, 8. https:// doi.org/10.1016/ j.proeps.2014.05.019 Mortvedt, J. J. (1994). Plant and Soil Relationships of Uranium and Thorium Decay Series Radionuclides—A Review. Journal of Environmental Quality, 23(4). https://doi.org/ 10.2134/ jeq1994.00472425002300040004x Elless, M. P., & Lee, S. Y. (2018). Radionuclide-contaminated soils: A mineralogical perspective for their remediation. Dans Soil Mineralogy with Environmental Applications (Vol. 7). https://doi.org/10.2136/sssabookser7.c25 Smedley, P. L., Smith, B., Abesser, C., & Lapworth, D. (2006). Uranium occurrence and behaviour in British groundwater. British Geological Survey Groundwater Programme Commissioned Report CR/06/050N. Luckett, L. W. (2006). Radiological Conditions in Areas of Kuwait with Residues of Depleted Uranium. Health Physics, 90(2). https://doi.org/10.1097/00004032-200602000-00011 Radiological Conditions in Selected Areas of Southern Iraq with Residues of Depleted Uranium. (s. d.). Consulté à l’adresse http://www-ns.iaea.org/standards/ Bersina, I. G., Brandt, R., Vater, P., Hinke, K., & Schütze, M. (1995). Fission track autoradiography as a means to investigate plants for their contamination with natural and technogenic uranium. Radiation Measurements, 24(3). https://doi.org/10.1016/1350-4487(94)00099-M Briner, W. (2010). The toxicity of depleted uranium. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph7010303 Segovia, N., Olguín, M. E., & Romero, M. (1986). Studies of U in the blood of two population samples. International Journal of Radiation Applications and Instrumentation. Part, 12(1 6). https://doi.org/10.1016/1359-0189(86)90705-3 Yazzie, M., Gamble, S. L., Civitello, E. R., & Stearns, D. M. (2003). Uranyl acetate causes DNA single strand breaks in vitro in the presence of ascorbate (vitamin C). Chemical Research in Toxicology, 16(4). https://doi.org/10.1021/tx025685q Periyakaruppan, A., Kumar, F., Sarkar, S., Sharma, C. S., & Ramesh, G. T. (2007). Uranium induces oxidative stress in lung epithelial cells. Archives of Toxicology, 81(6). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00204-006-0167-0 Au, W. W., Giri, A. K., & Ruchirawat, M. (2010). Challenge assay: A functional biomarker for exposure-induced DNA repair deficiency and for risk of cancer. International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health. https://doi.org/10.1016/ j.ijheh.2009.09.002 Wilson, J., Zuniga, M. C., Yazzie, F., & Stearns, D. M. (2015). Synergistic cytotoxicity and DNA strand breaks in cells and plasmid DNA exposed to uranyl acetate and ultraviolet radiation. Journal of Applied Toxicology, 35(4). https://doi.org/10.1002/jat.3015 Tawfiq, N. F., Ali, L. T., & Al-Jobouri, H. A. (2013). Uranium concentration measurements in human blood for some governorates in Iraq using CR-39 track detector. Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, 295(1). https://doi.org/10.1007/ s10967-012-2114-2 Henderson, P. (1978). (R. L.) Fleischer, (P. B.) Price, and (R. M.) Walker. Nuclear Tracks in Solids: Principles and Applications. Berkeley and London (Univ. California Press), 1975. xxii+605 pp., 205 figs., I pl. Price. Mineralogical Magazine, 42(322). https://doi.org/10.1180/minmag.1978.042.322.40 Babylon Governorate - Wikipedia. (s. d.). Consulté 16 septembre 2023, à l’adresse https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babylon_Governorate Carlson, R. V., Boyd, K. M., & Webb, D. J. (2004). The revision of the Declaration of Helsinki: Past, present and future. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2125.2004.02103.x Al-Hamzawi, A. A., Jaafar, M. S., & Tawfiq, N. F. (2014). Uranium concentration in blood samples of Southern Iraqi leukemia patients using CR-39 track detector. Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, 299(3). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-013-2808-0 Al-Hamzawi, A. A., Jaafar, M. S., & Tawfiq, N. F. (2015). Concentration of uranium in human cancerous tissues of Southern Iraqi patients using fission track analysis. Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, 303(3). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-014-3682-0 Tommasino, L. (1987). Solid state nuclear track detection: Principles, methods and applications. International Journal of Radiation Applications and Instrumentation. Part D. Nuclear Tracks and Radiation Measurements, 13(4). https://doi.org/10.1016/1359-0189(87)90044-6 Khan, H. A., & Qureshi, A. A. (1994). Solid state nuclear track detection: A useful geological/geophysical tool. Nuclear Geophysics, 8(1). Singh, N. P., Singh, M., Singh, S., & Virk, H. S. (1986). A fission track technique used for biogeochemical prospecting in Northern India. Journal of Geochemical Exploration, 26(3). https://doi.org/10.1016/0375-6742(86)90076-2 Al-Hamzawi, A. A., Jaafar, M. S., & Tawfiq, N. F. (2014). The measurements of uranium concentration in human blood in selected regions in Iraq using CR-39 track detector. Dans Advanced Materials Research (Vol. 925). https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/ AMR.925.679 Ahmed, R. S., Mohammed, R. S., Mahdi, K. H., Mahdi, Q. A., Mostafa, M. Y., & Khalaf, H. N. (2022). Evaluation of uranium concentration in the blood breast cancer women with CR-39 detector. Applied Radiation and Isotopes, 182. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apradiso. 2022.110120 Kadhim, S. A., Harjan, A. H., Alhous, S. F., & Al-Khafaji, Q. S. (2022). Study of the difference between uranium concentrations in blood samples of healthy, newly infected and women who took chemotherapy in Iraq, Najaf. Dans AIP Conference Proceedings (Vol. 2386). https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0067446 Handley-Sidhu, S., Keith-Roach, M. J., Lloyd, J. R., & Vaughan, D. J. (2010). A review of the environmental corrosion, fate and bioavailability of munitions grade depleted uranium. Science of the Total Environment. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv. 2010.08.028 Schimmack, W., Gerstmann, U., Oeh, U., Schultz, W., & Schramel, P. (2005). Leaching of depleted uranium in soil as determined by column experiments. Radiation and Environmental Biophysics, 44(3). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00411-005-0013-4 Schimmack, W., Gerstmann, U., Schultz, W., & Geipel, G. (2007). Long-term corrosion and leaching of depleted uranium (DU) in soil. Radiation and Environmental Biophysics, 46(3). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00411-007-0114-3 Cooper, J. R., Stradling, G. N., Smith, H., & Ham, S. E. (1982). The behaviour of uranium-233 oxide and uranyl-233 nitrate in rats. International Journal of Radiation Biology, 41(4). https://doi.org/10.1080/09553008214550461 Al-Hamzawi, A. A., Jafaar, M. S., & Tawfiq, N. F. (2014). The Relationship between Uranium Contamination and Cancerous Diseases of Southern Iraqi. Pensee Journal, 76(3). Al-Shammari, A. M. (2016). Environmental pollutions associated to conflicts in Iraq and related health problems. Reviews on Environmental Health. https://doi.org/10.1515/reveh-2015-0024 Zeneli, L., Sekovanić, A., & Daci, N. (2015). Chronic exposure to aluminum, nickel, thallium and uranium and their relationship with essential elements in human whole blood and blood serum. Journal of Environmental Science and Health - Part A Toxic/Hazardous Substances and Environmental Engineering, 50(6). https://doi.org/10.1080/10934529 .2015.994936 Ivanenko, N. B., Ivanenko, A. A., Solovyev, N. D., Zeimal, A. E., Navolotskii, D. V., & Drobyshev, E. J. (2013). Biomonitoring of 20 trace elements in blood and urine of occupationally exposed workers by sector field inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Talanta, 116. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.talanta.2013.07.079 Stojsavljević, A., Borković-Mitić, S., Vujotić, L., Grujičić, D., Gavrović-Jankulović, M., & Manojlović, D. (2019). The human biomonitoring study in Serbia: Background levels for arsenic, cadmium, lead, thorium and uranium in the whole blood of adult Serbian population. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 169. https://doi.org/10.1016/ j.ecoenv .2018.11.043 Rice, D. C., Lincoln, R., Martha, J., Parker, L., Pote, K., Xing, S., & Smith, A. E. (2010). Concentration of metals in blood of Maine children 1-6 years old. Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology, 20(7). https://doi.org/10.1038/jes.2010.42 Lu, Y., Kippler, M., Harari, F., Grandér, M., Palm, B., Nordqvist, H., & Vahter, M. (2015). Alkali dilution of blood samples for high throughput ICP-MS analysis-comparison with acid digestion. Clinical Biochemistry, 48(3). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clinbiochem .2014.12.003 Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 29 Jun, 2024 Read the published version in Nukleonika → Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-3414273","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":239230451,"identity":"a2e8f34b-e6b3-4473-b09a-6549b54a2c23","order_by":0,"name":"Haider O. Essa","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA2UlEQVRIiWNgGAWjYBACAyCWgLIZHzAwHCBNC7MByVrYJIjSYs7e/PDGxz020ebtZ49V89TckeNnYH746AYeLZY9x4wtZzxLy51zJi/tNs+xZ8aSDWzGxjn4HHYjwUya58Dh3BkMOWa3edgOJ244wMMmjVfL/effpP+AtPC/MSvm+UeMlhs8ZtIMIC0SOWbMvG3EaDmTU2zZcyANqOWNseTcvsPGks2E/HL8+MYbPw7YAB2WY/jhzbfDcvzAMHyMTwsKYOIBkczEKgcBxh+kqB4Fo2AUjIIRAwCLBFC6hWVWFAAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==","orcid":"","institution":"Science College, Al-Qasim Green University","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Haider","middleName":"O.","lastName":"Essa","suffix":""},{"id":239230453,"identity":"503d81d2-e78f-4cbf-ba9b-ff1a346ce611","order_by":1,"name":"Khalid H. H. Al-Attiyah","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Babylon University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Khalid","middleName":"H. H.","lastName":"Al-Attiyah","suffix":""},{"id":239230455,"identity":"7eca1079-1bbc-4d41-99c4-b269b0303402","order_by":2,"name":"Anees A. Al-Hamzawi","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Al-Qadisiyah University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Anees","middleName":"A.","lastName":"Al-Hamzawi","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2023-10-05 19:14:18","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-3414273/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-3414273/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[{"content":"https://doi.org/10.2478/nuka-2024-0021","type":"published","date":"2024-06-29T09:49:01+00:00"}],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":44594853,"identity":"c0f62818-d7e5-4522-bd7a-7f7ab2350988","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2023-10-13 19:47:39","extension":"png","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":118076,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eSamples and detectors are exposed to a neutron flux [20]\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-3414273/v1/863192453381ab8b03dd6d15.png"},{"id":44594852,"identity":"052e0973-5862-4532-965d-b998c6394bf1","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2023-10-13 19:47:39","extension":"png","order_by":2,"title":"Figure 2","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":1297828,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e(\u003c/strong\u003ea) 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 patients’ women.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"2.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-3414273/v1/2edf5ecf9a7b681f07a8e685.png"},{"id":44594851,"identity":"137b9ed1-f672-4ee5-bcd8-d05ad05e744d","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2023-10-13 19:47:39","extension":"png","order_by":3,"title":"Figure 3","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":28576,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eThe relationship between uranium concentration of the standard blood samples and track density [24]\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"3.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-3414273/v1/2399acdd214b2be55da33ce4.png"},{"id":59722369,"identity":"1620dfdc-dfb3-4ae3-b733-9c3eaeed2a08","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-07-05 09:49:07","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1785962,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-3414273/v1/bcb9a3f4-d555-4dce-94c2-e2ea22a9862a.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Determination of uranium concentration in blood samples of women with breast cancer in Babylon Province of Iraq using CR-39 nuclear track detector","fulltext":[{"header":"1. Introduction","content":"\u003cp\u003eRadioactive elements such as uranium and its daughter nuclides may harm humans due to their toxicity and the ionizing radiation they emit. The \u003csup\u003e238\u003c/sup\u003eU isotope accounts for almost all the uranium in the natural world. After undergoing radioactive decay, it finally settles into its stable form, \u003csup\u003e206\u003c/sup\u003ePb, after passing through a series of 13 radionuclides. The intermediate radionuclides are responsible for the emission of beta or alpha particles, and some are also responsible for the emission of gamma particles, although at a much lower energy [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e]. Human activities, including phosphate fertilizer application, phosphate mining, atomic testing, uranium and the whole nuclear fuel cycle, are linked to radionuclide pollution [\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR4\" citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e]. Most naturally occurring radionuclides in rocks and soils may be found in relatively low amounts [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e]. Like other uranium compounds, depleted uranium (DU) is produced as a byproduct of the uranium enrichment process. DU is mildly radioactive, with an activity of around 60% that of natural uranium. DU has various peaceful applications, such as radiation shielding for medical sources and aircraft counterweights. In addition to its employment in anti-tank bombs and missiles, DU is included in heavy tank armor. This is because of DU's high density, high melting point, and the fact that it \"sharpens\" as it breaks through armor [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn the Iraq War 2003, the Coalition Forces utilized munitions containing depleted uranium (DU). The fallout included the DU contamination of cars and soil in certain places. Iraqis and others across the globe are worried about the consequences DU residues might have on their health, especially if they live near the damaged regions [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e7\u003c/span\u003e]. Inhalation, ingestion, and skin puncture are the most common routes of uranium exposure. When inhaled, uranium particles settle in the bronchi and alveoli of the lungs [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e8\u003c/span\u003e]. The release of uranium from the bones and other organs into the bloodstream is linked to a wide variety of diseases and conditions[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e9\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e10\u003c/span\u003e], including cancer, skin diseases, congenital abnormalities, respiratory disorders, leukemia, kidney failure and even some diseases for which no cure has yet been discovered. Recent studies reveal that heavy metals like the radioactive nucleotide uranium cause oxidative stress by increasing the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e11\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e12\u003c/span\u003e]. This oxidative stress is a fundamental contributor to genotoxicity, autophagy, apoptosis and DNA damage.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eOn the other hand, a few circumstantial indications indicate that uranium may impede the DNA repair process. Exposure to uranium has been linked to DNA damage induction and repair disruption [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e13\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e14\u003c/span\u003e]. When determining the uranium content in a patient's blood, it is common practice to use a solid-state nuclear track detector [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e15\u003c/span\u003e]. According to Fleischer et al. hypotheses, solid-state track recording materials that were squeezed together and in contact with both films were exposed to thermal neutron irradiation [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e16\u003c/span\u003e], known as the fission-track technique. This method seems ideal for analyzing uranium levels in human blood for precise quantification. In this investigation, the CR-39 nuclear track detector will be used to compare the amounts of uranium in the blood of women diagnosed with breast cancer and a healthy control group.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"2. Materials and Procedures","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec3\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e2.1 Study area\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe governorate of Babil, often known as the Babylon Province, is located in central Iraq. It has an area of 5,119 square kilometers and is home to an expected 2,065,042 inhabitants this year. Hillah, the province capital, is across the river from historic Babylon on the Euphrates [\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e17\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"Sec4\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e2.2 Sampling Blood\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor this research, patients with breast cancer (16 total) and healthy controls (20 total) were gathered from Imam Sadiq Hospital and the Babylon Oncology Center in Babylon Province. None of these women had ever been exposed to uranium in the workplace. They filled out a lengthy form asking about personal details like age, gender, and medical history. Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e shows a more even distribution of healthy and cancer-stricken females. The study followed the Declaration of Helsinki's [\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e18\u003c/span\u003e] tenets of responsible research practice. The operation was performed with the patient's informed verbal and analytical permission. A local ethics committee had a chance to review the research protocol, subject information, and permission form, and they gave their stamp of approval (Babil Health Directorate).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\n\u003ctable id=\"Tab1\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 1\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStatistics of the women with and without cancer.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/caption\u003e\n\u003cthead\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e\n\u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewomen with cancer\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/th\u003e\n\u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewomen without cancer\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/th\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003c/thead\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of women\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e16\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e20\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAge range/years\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e25\u0026ndash;67\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e23\u0026ndash;70\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAverage age/years\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e40.93\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e37.6\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"Sec5\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e2.3 Methodology of the Experiment\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe experimental method for determining uranium content is identical to previously described [\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e15\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e19\u003c/span\u003e]. In order to dry and oxidize organic material in blood samples, they were heated in a furnace at 100\u0026deg;C for approximately 13 min. Dry blood powder (weighing 0.5 grams) was combined with 0.1 grams of methylcellulose (C\u003csub\u003e6\u003c/sub\u003e H\u003csub\u003e10\u003c/sub\u003e O\u003csub\u003e5\u003c/sub\u003e) to make the sample. One-centimeter-diameter, 1.5-mm-thick pellets were formed from the mixture. To induce latent damage in the detector from the \u003csup\u003e235\u003c/sup\u003eU (n, f) reaction, we coated together sides of the pellets with a CR-39 track detector and placed them in a paraffin wax plate 5 cm from an Am-Be neutron source, as shown in Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e. The pellets were subjected to a thermal flounce equal to 3.024 *10\u003csup\u003e9\u003c/sup\u003e n cm\u003csup\u003e2\u003c/sup\u003e for seven days. After radiation exposure, CR-39 detectors were heated to 60 degrees Celsius for 5 hours in a N\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;6.25 NaOH solution. As shown in Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e, the density of the induced fission tracks was observed using an optical microscope at a magnification of 400x. Surface fission track densities were tested, and uranium was found to be evenly dispersed throughout all of them.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"Sec6\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e2.4 Estimations of uranium content\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe uranium concentration in the blood samples was determined by comparing the track densities recorded by CR-39 detectors around the sample pellet to those recorded by detectors around a standard pellet. The following relation can be used to calculate the concentration of uranium in blood samples using CR-39 detectors [\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e21\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e22\u003c/span\u003e]:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eC\u003csub\u003ex\u003c/sub\u003e = C\u003csub\u003es\u003c/sub\u003e \u003cspan class=\"InlineEquation\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"mathinline\"\u003e\\(\\frac{{\\rho }_{x}}{{\\rho }_{s }}\\)\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"InlineEquation\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"mathinline\"\u003e\\(\\frac{{I}_{s}}{{I}_{x}}\\)\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"InlineEquation\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"mathinline\"\u003e\\(\\frac{{R}_{s}}{{R}_{x}}\\)\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e (1)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewhere C\u003csub\u003es\u003c/sub\u003e and C\u003csub\u003ex\u003c/sub\u003e are the uranium concentrations in (ppb) in standard and unknown samples, respectively; \u0026rho;\u003csub\u003es\u003c/sub\u003e and \u0026rho;\u003csub\u003ex\u003c/sub\u003e represent the density of fission tracks in (tracks/mm\u003csup\u003e2\u003c/sup\u003e) in standard and unknown samples, respectively; I\u003csub\u003es\u003c/sub\u003e and I\u003csub\u003ex\u003c/sub\u003e represent the isotopic abundances of \u003csup\u003e238\u003c/sup\u003eU and \u003csup\u003e235\u003c/sup\u003eU in unknown and standard samples, respectively; Rs and Rx are the range depths of fission fragments in mg cm\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;2\u003c/sup\u003e in the detectors covering the standard and unknown samples, respectively. The factors R\u003csub\u003es\u003c/sub\u003e ∕ R\u003csub\u003ex\u003c/sub\u003e and I\u003csub\u003es\u003c/sub\u003e ∕ I\u003csub\u003ex\u003c/sub\u003e are taken as unity [\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e23\u003c/span\u003e]; hence, Eq.\u0026nbsp;1 turns into:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eC\u003csub\u003ex\u003c/sub\u003e = C\u003csub\u003es\u003c/sub\u003e \u003cspan class=\"InlineEquation\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"mathinline\"\u003e\\(\\frac{{\\rho }_{x}}{{\\rho }_{s }}\\)\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e (2)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe relations of track density and uranium content in standard samples are shown in Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"Sec7\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e2.5 Analysis of Statistics\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eVersion 26.0 of the SPSS program was used for the statistical processing and analysis. An independent t-test was carried out using the data from both groups to determine whether there was a statistically significant difference in the probability level (P).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"3. Findings and Discussion","content":"\u003cp\u003eTable\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e and Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e describe the uranium levels in the patients' and healthy women's blood samples, respectively. Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e displays the range of uranium levels between 1.918 ppb and 3.259 ppb. Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e shows that the average uranium content for this sample set is 2.463 ppb, with a range of 2.105 ppb to 0.59 ppb. This sample population has a mean uranium content of 1.205 parts per billion. Results showed that the average uranium concentration in the ill group's blood samples was twice that of the healthy group, corroborating their research [\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e15\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e19\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e25\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e26\u003c/span\u003e]. Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e shows information that might suggest some young women had higher uranium levels than older women. However, no correlation was discovered between age and uranium levels in the blood of women with breast cancer.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUranium levels in women's blood may be affected by several variables, including exposure to contaminated water and food. Polluted air and soil, as well as contact with these substances, are environmental variables to consider. It is also worth noting that there are still uranium-containing bullet casings in certain parts of Baghdad from the country's wartime history [\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e27\u003c/span\u003e]. Some battle relics are buried in the ground, vulnerable to chemical weathering and eventual corrosion. Schimmack et al. [\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e28\u003c/span\u003e] looked at this scenario when they researched depleted uranium munitions in the soil of the former Yugoslavia. They demonstrated that uranium-238 leached from the soil is carried downward by precipitation, adding to the groundwater's uranium content. Drinking water from such a source might harm the resident's health [\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e29\u003c/span\u003e]. Plants and trees in polluted regions may also take up uranium corrosion products [\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e27\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA comparison of Tables\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e and \u003cspan class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e shows that the uranium content in the blood of women diagnosed with breast cancer is much higher than that of women without a diagnosis of breast cancer. We considered uranium toxicity a possible cause due to the correlation between higher uranium concentrations and breast cancer in women. Most uranium in the body is already bound to other chemicals that can be broken down and used elsewhere in the body. Uranyl ions are generated when tetravalent uranium is oxidized to hexavalent uranium in blood and other bodily fluids. It is common for uranium to form protein complexes in plasma, citrate, and bicarbonate [\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e30\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\n\u003ctable id=\"Tab2\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 2\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLevels of uranium in female patients' blood samples.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/caption\u003e\n\u003cthead\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSample code\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/th\u003e\n\u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAge in years\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/th\u003e\n\u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUranium concentration\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ein (ppb)\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;S.D.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/th\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003c/thead\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCB 01\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e33\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e2.681\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.20\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCB 02\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e36\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e3.259\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.20\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCB 03\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e46\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1.918\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.21\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCB 04\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e42\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e2.024\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.30\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCB 05\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e70\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e2.541\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.48\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCB 06\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e34\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e2.444\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.49\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCB 07\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e42\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e2.260\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.31\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCB 08\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e45\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e2.628\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.36\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCB 09\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e45\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e2.374\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.23\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCB 10\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e44\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e2.199\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.30\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCB 11\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e25\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e2.742\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.37\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCB 12\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e45\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e2.812\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.34\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCB 13\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e67\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e2.462\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.28\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCB 14\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e26\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e2.216\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.29\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCB 15\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e27\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e2.345\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.24\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCB 16\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e28\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e2.516\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.27\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd colspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMean\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;Std Error\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e2.463\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.30\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e* CB represents cancer blood.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\n\u003ctable id=\"Tab3\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 3\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUranium levels in healthy women's blood.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/caption\u003e\n\u003cthead\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSample code\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/th\u003e\n\u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAge in years\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/th\u003e\n\u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUranium concentration\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ein (ppb)\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;S.D.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/th\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003c/thead\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHB01\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e53\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1.08\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.34\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHB02\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e45\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1.501\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.28\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHB03\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e40\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.905\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.33\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHB04\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e50\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1.773\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.43\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHB05\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e23\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1.045\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.28\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHB06\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e38\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.59\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.22\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHB07\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e36\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.712\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.27\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHB08\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e40\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1.816\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.43\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHB09\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e42\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1.036\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.37\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHB10\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e22\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.958\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.28\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHB11\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e23\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1.01 0.28\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHB 12\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e24\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1.387\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.27\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHB 13\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e30\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e2.105\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.27\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHB 14\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e46\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.817\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.24\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHB 15\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e38\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1.51\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.24\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHB 16\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e40\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1.308\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.28\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHB17\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e29\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.94\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.26\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHB 18\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e70\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.782\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.30\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHB19\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e23\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.993\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.31\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHB20\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e40\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1.851\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.35\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd colspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMean\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;Std Error\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1.205\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.30\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e* HB represents healthy blood.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA study found that women who were patients had significantly higher levels of uranium in their blood than healthy women. These findings may be explained by the fact that the environment in Iraq has been seriously damaged due to the first Gulf War in 1991 and the military operations to invade Iraq in 2003. These conflicts took place between the United States and Iraq. As a result, the levels of toxic metals in the environment have been steadily rising, negatively impacting the health of Iraqis and posing a threat to the environment [\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e31\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe findings produced in this study were mostly compared to the data that had been previously published, which are shown in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e. According to the results, the average uranium concentrations identified in the blood of women diagnosed with breast cancer in the present research are greater than those reported in prior studies. Military actions in Iraq, especially depleted uranium munitions, may have contributed to this elevated element level. Although natural uranium is more radioactive than depleted uranium, the health effects of both substances are the same. The study did not find a significant correlation between age and uranium levels in women with or without breast cancer. This may be due to other confounding variables like lifestyle, diet, and environmental exposure. Additionally, the 2003 invasion of Iraq damaged several nuclear research facilities, which may have contributed to the loss or dispersal of radiation sources [\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e32\u003c/span\u003e]. This may have led to environmental pollution, which might have affected people of all ages.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\n\u003ctable id=\"Tab4\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 4\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUranium concentrations in blood taken from people all around the world.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/caption\u003e\n\u003cthead\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCountry\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/th\u003e\n\u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUranium concentration\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/th\u003e\n\u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eReference\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/th\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003c/thead\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKosovo\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e7.99\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;3.1 ng/l (Control Subjects)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e12.76\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;4.0 ng/l (Thermo Power Plant workers)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e33\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRussia\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.04 \u0026micro;g/l (Occupationally exposed workers)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e34\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSerbia\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.05\u0026ndash;0.08 ng g\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e (women)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.03\u0026ndash;0.07 ng g\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e (men)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e35\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eUnited States\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.025 \u0026micro;g/l\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e36\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eArgentina\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.06 ng/l (Pregnant women)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e37\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIraq\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e2.463\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.30 \u0026micro;g/l (women with breast cancer)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1.205\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.30 \u0026micro;g/l (women without breast cancer)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePresent work\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"4. Conclusion","content":" \u003cp\u003eThe detection of noticeably higher concentrations of uranium in the blood samples of female patients compared to healthy individuals raises concerns about potential health risks. The implications include uranium toxicity, increased cancer risk, and reproductive effects. Further research is necessary to understand elevated uranium concentrations' causes, long-term effects, and gender-specific impacts. These findings emphasize the importance of proactive measures to minimize uranium exposure and protect public health.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAcknowledgments\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003eFirst and foremost, we would like to express our gratitude to the doctors and nurses at the Imam Sadiq Hospital and the Babylon Cancer Center in Babylon province. In addition, we would like to use this opportunity to convey our appreciation to the individuals who donated blood to make this project a success.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere are a variety of interests that need to be taken into account and reported, including but not limited to the following:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFunding: The authors did not get any financial assistance or other support from any organization for the work that was submitted.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eConflict of Interest: I declare that the authors have no competing interests\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEthical approval: The principles mentioned in the Declaration of Helsinki were adhered to during this inquiry. The Ethics Committee of the Babil Health Directorate gave its go-ahead for the project.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInformed consent: A Local Ethics Committee looked through the research protocol, as well as the details on the subjects and the consent form, and gave their stamp of approval (Babil Health Directorate).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAuthor contribution: Each author made a significant contribution to the study\u0026apos;s idea and design. [Haider O. Essa], [Khalid H. H. Al-Attiyah], and [Anees A. Al-Hamzawi] were the ones in charge of the material preparation, data collection, and analysis, respectively. The first version of the book was written by [Haider O. Essa], and all of the writers provided feedback on earlier drafts of the article. Each contributor was responsible for reading and approving the final draft.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTaboada, T., Mart\u0026iacute;nez Cortizas, A., Garc\u0026iacute;a, C., \u0026amp; Garc\u0026iacute;a-Rodeja, E. (2006). Uranium and thorium in weathering and pedogenetic profiles developed on granitic rocks from NW Spain. Science of the Total Environment, 356(13). https://doi.org/10.1016/ j.scitotenv .2005.03.030\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eS\u0026aacute;nchez-Gonz\u0026aacute;lez, S., Curto, N., Caravantes, P., \u0026amp; Garc\u0026iacute;a-S\u0026aacute;nchez, A. (2014). Natural Gamma Radiation and Uranium Distribution in Soils and Waters in the Agueda River Basin (Spain-Portugal). Procedia Earth and Planetary Science, 8. https:// doi.org/10.1016/ j.proeps.2014.05.019\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMortvedt, J. J. (1994). Plant and Soil Relationships of Uranium and Thorium Decay Series Radionuclides\u0026mdash;A Review. Journal of Environmental Quality, 23(4). https://doi.org/ 10.2134/ jeq1994.00472425002300040004x\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eElless, M. P., \u0026amp; Lee, S. Y. (2018). Radionuclide-contaminated soils: A mineralogical perspective for their remediation. Dans Soil Mineralogy with Environmental Applications (Vol. 7). https://doi.org/10.2136/sssabookser7.c25\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSmedley, P. L., Smith, B., Abesser, C., \u0026amp; Lapworth, D. (2006). Uranium occurrence and behaviour in British groundwater. British Geological Survey Groundwater Programme Commissioned Report CR/06/050N.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLuckett, L. W. (2006). Radiological Conditions in Areas of Kuwait with Residues of Depleted Uranium. Health Physics, 90(2). https://doi.org/10.1097/00004032-200602000-00011\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRadiological Conditions in Selected Areas of Southern Iraq with Residues of Depleted Uranium. (s. d.). Consult\u0026eacute; \u0026agrave; l\u0026rsquo;adresse http://www-ns.iaea.org/standards/\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBersina, I. G., Brandt, R., Vater, P., Hinke, K., \u0026amp; Sch\u0026uuml;tze, M. (1995). Fission track autoradiography as a means to investigate plants for their contamination with natural and technogenic uranium. Radiation Measurements, 24(3). https://doi.org/10.1016/1350-4487(94)00099-M\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBriner, W. (2010). The toxicity of depleted uranium. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph7010303\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSegovia, N., Olgu\u0026iacute;n, M. E., \u0026amp; Romero, M. (1986). Studies of U in the blood of two population samples. International Journal of Radiation Applications and Instrumentation. Part, 12(1 6). https://doi.org/10.1016/1359-0189(86)90705-3\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eYazzie, M., Gamble, S. L., Civitello, E. R., \u0026amp; Stearns, D. M. (2003). Uranyl acetate causes DNA single strand breaks in vitro in the presence of ascorbate (vitamin C). Chemical Research in Toxicology, 16(4). https://doi.org/10.1021/tx025685q\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePeriyakaruppan, A., Kumar, F., Sarkar, S., Sharma, C. S., \u0026amp; Ramesh, G. T. (2007). Uranium induces oxidative stress in lung epithelial cells. Archives of Toxicology, 81(6). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00204-006-0167-0\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAu, W. W., Giri, A. K., \u0026amp; Ruchirawat, M. (2010). Challenge assay: A functional biomarker for exposure-induced DNA repair deficiency and for risk of cancer. International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health. https://doi.org/10.1016/ j.ijheh.2009.09.002\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWilson, J., Zuniga, M. C., Yazzie, F., \u0026amp; Stearns, D. M. (2015). Synergistic cytotoxicity and DNA strand breaks in cells and plasmid DNA exposed to uranyl acetate and ultraviolet radiation. Journal of Applied Toxicology, 35(4). https://doi.org/10.1002/jat.3015\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTawfiq, N. F., Ali, L. T., \u0026amp; Al-Jobouri, H. A. (2013). Uranium concentration measurements in human blood for some governorates in Iraq using CR-39 track detector. Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, 295(1). https://doi.org/10.1007/ s10967-012-2114-2\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHenderson, P. (1978). (R. L.) Fleischer, (P. B.) Price, and (R. M.) Walker. Nuclear Tracks in Solids: Principles and Applications. Berkeley and London (Univ. California Press), 1975. xxii+605 pp., 205 figs., I pl. Price. Mineralogical Magazine, 42(322). https://doi.org/10.1180/minmag.1978.042.322.40\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBabylon Governorate - Wikipedia. (s. d.). Consult\u0026eacute; 16 septembre 2023, \u0026agrave; l\u0026rsquo;adresse https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babylon_Governorate\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCarlson, R. V., Boyd, K. M., \u0026amp; Webb, D. J. (2004). The revision of the Declaration of Helsinki: Past, present and future. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2125.2004.02103.x\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAl-Hamzawi, A. A., Jaafar, M. S., \u0026amp; Tawfiq, N. F. (2014). Uranium concentration in blood samples of Southern Iraqi leukemia patients using CR-39 track detector. Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, 299(3). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-013-2808-0\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAl-Hamzawi, A. A., Jaafar, M. S., \u0026amp; Tawfiq, N. F. (2015). Concentration of uranium in human cancerous tissues of Southern Iraqi patients using fission track analysis. Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, 303(3). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-014-3682-0\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTommasino, L. (1987). Solid state nuclear track detection: Principles, methods and applications. International Journal of Radiation Applications and Instrumentation. Part D. Nuclear Tracks and Radiation Measurements, 13(4). https://doi.org/10.1016/1359-0189(87)90044-6\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKhan, H. A., \u0026amp; Qureshi, A. A. (1994). Solid state nuclear track detection: A useful geological/geophysical tool. Nuclear Geophysics, 8(1).\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSingh, N. P., Singh, M., Singh, S., \u0026amp; Virk, H. S. (1986). A fission track technique used for biogeochemical prospecting in Northern India. Journal of Geochemical Exploration, 26(3). https://doi.org/10.1016/0375-6742(86)90076-2\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAl-Hamzawi, A. A., Jaafar, M. S., \u0026amp; Tawfiq, N. F. (2014). The measurements of uranium concentration in human blood in selected regions in Iraq using CR-39 track detector. Dans Advanced Materials Research (Vol. 925). https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/ AMR.925.679\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAhmed, R. S., Mohammed, R. S., Mahdi, K. H., Mahdi, Q. A., Mostafa, M. Y., \u0026amp; Khalaf, H. N. (2022). Evaluation of uranium concentration in the blood breast cancer women with CR-39 detector. Applied Radiation and Isotopes, 182. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apradiso. 2022.110120\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKadhim, S. A., Harjan, A. H., Alhous, S. F., \u0026amp; Al-Khafaji, Q. S. (2022). Study of the difference between uranium concentrations in blood samples of healthy, newly infected and women who took chemotherapy in Iraq, Najaf. Dans AIP Conference Proceedings (Vol. 2386). https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0067446\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHandley-Sidhu, S., Keith-Roach, M. J., Lloyd, J. R., \u0026amp; Vaughan, D. J. (2010). A review of the environmental corrosion, fate and bioavailability of munitions grade depleted uranium. Science of the Total Environment. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv. 2010.08.028\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSchimmack, W., Gerstmann, U., Oeh, U., Schultz, W., \u0026amp; Schramel, P. (2005). Leaching of depleted uranium in soil as determined by column experiments. Radiation and Environmental Biophysics, 44(3). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00411-005-0013-4\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSchimmack, W., Gerstmann, U., Schultz, W., \u0026amp; Geipel, G. (2007). Long-term corrosion and leaching of depleted uranium (DU) in soil. Radiation and Environmental Biophysics, 46(3). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00411-007-0114-3\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCooper, J. R., Stradling, G. N., Smith, H., \u0026amp; Ham, S. E. (1982). The behaviour of uranium-233 oxide and uranyl-233 nitrate in rats. International Journal of Radiation Biology, 41(4). https://doi.org/10.1080/09553008214550461\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAl-Hamzawi, A. A., Jafaar, M. S., \u0026amp; Tawfiq, N. F. (2014). The Relationship between Uranium Contamination and Cancerous Diseases of Southern Iraqi. Pensee Journal, 76(3).\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAl-Shammari, A. M. (2016). Environmental pollutions associated to conflicts in Iraq and related health problems. Reviews on Environmental Health. https://doi.org/10.1515/reveh-2015-0024\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eZeneli, L., Sekovanić, A., \u0026amp; Daci, N. (2015). Chronic exposure to aluminum, nickel, thallium and uranium and their relationship with essential elements in human whole blood and blood serum. Journal of Environmental Science and Health - Part A Toxic/Hazardous Substances and Environmental Engineering, 50(6). https://doi.org/10.1080/10934529 .2015.994936\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIvanenko, N. B., Ivanenko, A. A., Solovyev, N. D., Zeimal, A. E., Navolotskii, D. V., \u0026amp; Drobyshev, E. J. (2013). Biomonitoring of 20 trace elements in blood and urine of occupationally exposed workers by sector field inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Talanta, 116. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.talanta.2013.07.079\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStojsavljević, A., Borković-Mitić, S., Vujotić, L., Grujičić, D., Gavrović-Jankulović, M., \u0026amp; Manojlović, D. (2019). The human biomonitoring study in Serbia: Background levels for arsenic, cadmium, lead, thorium and uranium in the whole blood of adult Serbian population. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 169. https://doi.org/10.1016/ j.ecoenv .2018.11.043\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRice, D. C., Lincoln, R., Martha, J., Parker, L., Pote, K., Xing, S., \u0026amp; Smith, A. E. (2010). Concentration of metals in blood of Maine children 1-6 years old. Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology, 20(7). https://doi.org/10.1038/jes.2010.42\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLu, Y., Kippler, M., Harari, F., Grand\u0026eacute;r, M., Palm, B., Nordqvist, H., \u0026amp; Vahter, M. (2015). Alkali dilution of blood samples for high throughput ICP-MS analysis-comparison with acid digestion. Clinical Biochemistry, 48(3). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clinbiochem .2014.12.003\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":true,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"uranium levels, breast cancer, CR-39, the fission track, human blood, and the Babylon Province","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-3414273/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-3414273/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eBreast cancer is the most common cancer among women in Iraq, accounting for approximately 30% of all cancers diagnosed in women. It is also the leading cause of cancer death among women in Iraq. This scientific paper aims to determine the uranium levels in the blood samples collected from breast cancer patients and analyzed using the CR-39 track detector to measure uranium concentrations. Fission track etching technique with CR-39 detector is a non-destructive technique used to detect and measure the spatial distribution of neutron-induced fission events in solid materials. It is a powerful tool for various applications in nuclear physics, radiation dosimetry, environmental monitoring, and geochronology. The results show that the uranium concentration among the patient women varied from 3.259 ppb to 1.918 ppb, while the uranium concentration among the healthy women varied from 2.15 ppb to 0.59 ppb. Increased uranium concentration in patient groups compared to healthy groups is well-documented. This is thought to be due to exposure to uranium through the environment, workplace, or medical procedures. Uranium is a heavy metal that can accumulate in the body over time and cause several health problems, including cancer, kidney damage, and congenital disabilities.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Determination of uranium concentration in blood samples of women with breast cancer in Babylon Province of Iraq using CR-39 nuclear track detector","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2023-10-13 19:47:35","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-3414273/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"4a80ba5d-6aa2-411c-9de5-98ee0fcae488","owner":[],"postedDate":"October 13th, 2023","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"published-in-journal","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2024-07-05T09:49:01+00:00","versionOfRecord":{"articleIdentity":"rs-3414273","link":"https://doi.org/10.2478/nuka-2024-0021","journal":{"identity":"nukleonika","isVorOnly":true,"title":"Nukleonika"},"publishedOn":"2024-06-29 09:49:01","publishedOnDateReadable":"June 29th, 2024"},"versionCreatedAt":"2023-10-13 19:47:35","video":"","vorDoi":"10.2478/nuka-2024-0021","vorDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/nuka-2024-0021","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-3414273","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-3414273","identity":"rs-3414273","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"_2-kVJe1T_tPrBINL-cwx","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}