Evaluating the effects of naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) on rat's brain cerebral cortex

Abstract The technologically advanced activities of the gas and oil sectors produce a considerable amount of naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) as industrial by-products or waste products. The goal of the current study is to estimate the danger of long-term liability to Technologically Enhanced Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (TE-NORM) on the cerebral cortex of rats’ brains. A high purity germanium ɣ-ray spectrometer was used to assess the radioactivity of samples. 20 Adult male Albino rats were used in the current experiment. The animals were divided into two groups: a control group and an irradiated group. Each rat in the irradiated group received a total dose of 0.016 Gy of TE-NORM as a chronic radiation exposure over a whole two months. Rats were then sacrificed. Some hematological and neurotransmitter parameters, as well as oxidative stress and β-amyloid, were evaluated. The disturbance was found in all parameters due to chronic ionizing radiation exposure. The results showed that two months of whole-body exposure to chronic ionizing radiation with a total dose of 0.016 Gy of TE-NORM induced significant changes in hematological, neurotransmitter, and oxidative stress parameters and increased the β-amyloid concentration in the cerebral cortex of rats' brains. The findings of the present study showed that chronic radiation liability has some harmful effects.