Radiation environment of radon gas concentrations in serum samples of human workers in factories at Al-Najaf Governorate, Iraq

Department of Physics, College of Science, University of Babylon, Babil, Iraq

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Abstract

This study assesses the concentration of radon gas in the serum (blood) of some factory workers in Najaf Governorate, comparing the calculated values with those of healthy individuals (controls). Radon is produced during the decay process of radioactive elements such as uranium and thorium. Radon gas is a naturally occurring radioactive substance that accumulates in enclosed environments such as factories. Chronic exposure to high levels of radon increases the risk of developing diseases, most notably lung cancer. This study aims to determine whether workers in Najaf are exposed to these risks and to provide reliable data to protect their health. The study was conducted using the CR-39 detector to measure alpha particles emitted from radon gas. The total number of samples collected was 50, of which 40 were distributed to factories which are Plastic cups production factory, Water bottling factories, Dates factory and Poultry factory (10 from each factory) in addition to 10 samples for control personnel from outside the factories. After (90 days), which is the exposure period, we calculated the density of the pathways using the TASLIMAGE system. The results showed that the average radon concentration in factory workers was 28.3245 ± 30.8282 Bq/m3 while the concentration in control subjects was 20.7698 ± 11.1286 Bq/m³. The radon concentration in the factory workers’ samples was slightly higher than in the control group, a result of continuous occupational exposure. The results showed that the calculated concentration values for both the factory workers and the control group were all within the permissible limit (200 Bq/m³) as defined by the International Atomic Energy Agency and the International Commission on Radiological Protection