134 © 2025 The Author(s). Published by College of Education for Pure Science (Ibn Al-Haitham), University of Baghdad. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License Contamination of Radioactivity with Uranium and Concentrations of Some Heavy Metals in Human Blood Hala M. Hamza 1* and Hayder S. Hussain 2 1,2Department of Physics, College of Science, University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq. *Corresponding Author. Received :10 May 2024 Accepted :10 September 2024 Published: 20 April 2025 doi.org/10.30526/38.2.4004 Abstract This research has been conducted to determine the level of radioactive contamination from uranium and some heavy elements (Pb, Cd, Ni & Cu) in 60 blood samples taken from individuals living in four areas (Ishtar, Jeser Diyala, AL-Wardiya, and Tameem) near the Iraqi Atomic Energy Organization, south of Baghdad, bordered by the Tigris River to the west and the Diyala River to the north. This organization was established in 1967 and was used for legitimate nuclear operations. It was targeted during the Gulf Wars in 1991 and 2003, leading to leaks of containers containing uranium oxides and radioactive sources from the organization to surrounding areas. Living near a nuclear testing site exposes residents to internal and external radiation. The nuclear track detector for solid-state (CR-39) and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) were used to determine the concentrations of uranium and heavy metals. The uranium concentration rates in Ishtar, Jeser Diyala, AL-Wardiya, and Tameem were 0.583±0.02μg/L, 0.546±0.04μg /L,0.439±0.05μg/L and 0.390±0.04μg/L, respectively. Based on the results obtained, it is noticed that the concentrations of uranium in the villages of Ishtar and Jeser Diyala are higher than in the rest of the areas, exceeding the acceptable limit set by the World Health Organization (WHO). The highest concentrations of Pb (0.084 ±0.007) ppm and Cd (0.026 ±0.006) ppm were found in Tameem, the highest concentration of Ni (0.038 ±0.008) ppm in Ishtar, and the highest concentration of Cu (0.168 ±0.033) ppm in Jeser Diyala. Keywords: Contamination, Uranium, Heavy elements, Al-Tuwaitha nuclear site, Human blood. 1. Introduction Uranium is a naturally occurring heavy, radioactive metal that contains numerous isotopes, including three primary ones: 238U, 235U, and 234U. These isotopes decay by emitting alpha and beta. In the nuclear industry, the latter two isotopes are widely used )1(. Extracting uranium ore, milling it, and processing it are examples of human activities that lead to the release and redistribution of uranium in the environment )2(.The soluble part of uranium enters the bloodstream and accumulates in all organs )3(. Humans can be exposed https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ https://orcid.org/0009-0006-4678-7293 mailto:hala39083@gmail.com https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4650-1284 mailto:haydershussain@gmail.com IHJPAS. 2025,38(2) 135 to uranium in several ways: either directly by inhaling dust particles containing uranium, indirectly by drinking contaminated water with uranium, or through fertile soil layers via the food chain )4(. Uranium that has been inhaled or ingested through drinking water is stored in the bones, liver, and kidneys )5(. Insoluble uranium particles can have harmful effects on the respiratory system when inhaled, according to research done on both people and animals )6(. Only 2% of ingested uranium is absorbed into the body through food, with the remaining 98% excreted through feces. However, the rate of uranium entering the bloodstream via inhalation may exceed 20%, according to the World Health Organization )7(. Among many other pollutants, heavy metals represent the most hazardous type of pollution )8(. It is well known that heavy elements like arsenic (As), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), chromium (Cr), and cadmium (Cd) are highly toxic to human cells. In the last twenty years, increased industrial and agricultural activities have led to the accumulation of heavy metals in the environment. Consequently, abnormal levels of heavy elements can lead to health and environmental disasters (9). Eating, drinking, and breathing air are all factors that contribute to the entry of heavy metals into the body. Skin contact also contributes to this process, but to a lesser extent (10). When metals are present in sufficiently high concentrations, they can be harmful to human health. Long-term exposure to lead (Pb), cadmium(Cd), copper (Cu), and nickel (Ni) toxins increases the likelihood of developing heart and lung diseases, nervous system disorders, chronic inflammation, and various types of cancer (11). Identifying heavy metals in bodily fluids, such as blood, is one of the most efficient techniques. Heavy metal testing primarily utilizes blood samples because they represent the substance better (12). Blood is the body fluid in humans and animals that is tested to detect trace elements. Depending on how trace elements chemically bond with nutrients, the quantity of these elements entering the bloodstream after absorption in the digestive system is determined (13).The site of the Iraqi Atomic Energy Organization is one of the most polluted sites in Iraq, located 1 km east of the Tigris River and 20 km southeast of Baghdad. The nuclear research reactors were destroyed in 1991 during the Gulf War, and in 2003, barrels containing radioactive materials were taken from the site, leading to significant radiation pollution in the surrounding areas (14).Many studies have shown that soil and water in areas near the Atomic Energy Organization contain high concentrations of uranium (15,16). Therefore, the study aimed to determine the concentrations of uranium and some heavy elements (Pb, Cd, N I & Cu) in blood samples of people living in areas (Ishtar, Jeser Diyala, Al-Wardiya, and Al-Tameem) near the Atomic Energy Organization to see if the local high radiation background is reflected on the physiological fluids like blood. 2. Materials and Methods Sixty blood samples were taken from donors (females and males) aged between 20-60 years from four areas near the Iraqi Atomic Energy Organization. The samples included 15 from each of Ishtar village (10 males and 5 females), Jeser Diyala region (7 males and 8 females), Al-Wardiya region (8 males and 7 females), and Tameem region (7 males and 8 females). Blood samples were collected from November 2022 to January 2023 to assess the uranium content and heavy elements (Ni, Cu, Cd, and Pb). The participant was then asked for personal information, which included a questionnaire about their medical history in addition to some general information like age, gender, blood pressure, and smoking habits. Five millimeters of venous blood were taken by venipuncture, using a disposable needle and a plastic syringe. after, it was put inside a vacuum tube with gel without anticoagulant and left at room temperature for 10 min until the blood clots. The centrifuge was used to separate IHJPAS. 2025,38(2) 136 the serum at 6000 revolutions per minute for 10 minutes (17), and then the serum samples were separated into two parts. The first part was put in new test tubes labeled with specific symbols and stored at a temperature of 20 °C (18) to estimate heavy elements in the current investigation. The second part was placed in test tubes with a nuclear track detector for solid-state (CR-39) in the refrigerator for 90 days to determine the uranium content (19). Half a milliliter of blood serum was placed in a plastic container measuring 10 cm in length and 1.5 cm in diameter (18). A CR-39 detector (500μm) (made by Pershore Molding LTD, United Kingdom) with an approximate area (1x1cm2) was placed in the serum samples and left for 90 days (19) as shown in Figure 1 Figure 1. CR-39 in serum sample. After 90 days of radiation exposure, a chemical etching process was conducted on the detectors using a sodium hydroxide solution (NaOH) with a concentration of (6.25 N), obtained by dissolving 250 g of sodium hydroxide pellets in 1 liter of distilled water. The concentration is calculated from Equation (1) (20). W= N × V ×Weq (1) N= Normality=6.25 V= Volume of distilled water in 1 liter Weq = Equivalent weight of NaOH =40 g W= Weight of NaOH= 250g All detector pieces were placed in a 5 ml tube containing the etching solution and heated in a water bath (LABSCO, Germany) for 5 hours at 60°C. After the etching period, the detector pieces were removed, washed with distilled water, and dried at room temperature, and then counted per unit area using a light microscope (NOVEL, China) with a magnification power of 400 X to calculate the track density using Equation (2) (21). ρ= N (A×T) (2) ρ is the track density (tracks /cm2. h). N is the average number of tracks. A is the area of the field view (cm2). T is the irradiance time (h). The fitting equation that results from the calibration curve depicted in Figure 2 can be used to determine the uranium concentration (Uc) in the blood sample (3): 𝑈𝑐 = (𝜌 +12.5) / 18.6 (3) CR-39 0.5cm 9.5 cm IHJPAS. 2025,38(2) 137 Figure 2. Curve of calibration for standard uranium (ppb)(3). Quantities of various heavy elements, including Pb, Cd, Ni, and Cu, in liquid samples are determined using Inductively Coupled Plasma- Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES). This method involves atomizing a liquid sample into atoms capable of absorbing energy to transfer electrons from the ground state to the excited state. The heat emitted by argon plasma, reaching its very height, serves as the energy source in this process. When electrons return from a higher energy level to a lower energy level, they emit light of a specific wavelength that identifies the element present in the sample (22). As for calculating the concentrations of heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Ni, and Cu), sixty blood serum samples from the same individuals were transferred from the refrigerated box to the Central Laboratory Directorate of the Atomic Energy Commission for the estimation of heavy elements using Inductively Coupled Plasma – Optical Emission Spectrometers (ICP-OES). Before the metal analysis, each sample (1 mL of serum) was individually digested with 4 mL of nitric acid (69%) and 2 mL of H2O2 (35%). Subsequently, the samples were sealed and placed in a microwave for 35 minutes at 180°C and 90 bar pressure. At the end of the digestion process, all samples were removed from the microwave and left to cool. Following this, the sample was filtered (0.45 micrometers) and transferred to a (25 mL) volumetric flask. Finally, the solution was ready for reading using ICP-OES(23). The ICP-OES used in our study from Agilent sps4 Auto Sampler Corporation, European Union (2021) was operated under suitable conditions, including choosing the suitable wavelength for each element (Pb) 220.353 nm, (Cd) 214.439 nm, (Ni) 221.647 nm, and (Cu) 324.754 nm with a nebulizer argon flow rate of 0.4 L/min, an auxiliary argon flow rate of 0.6 L/min, a plasma argon flow rate of 12 L/min, integration time of 100s, a read delay of 20 s, and a peristaltic pump flow rate of 1 mL/min. 3.Results Table 1 shows the levels of uranium and heavy elements in blood samples taken from residents of the Ishtar village. Uranium concentrations ranged from 0.404 μg/L in sample B3 to 0.752 μg/L in sample B7, with an average of 0.583±0.025 μg/L. Pb concentrations ranged from 0.019 ppm in sample B6 to 0.168 ppm in sample B11, with an average of 0.073±0.010 ppm. Cd concentrations ranged from ND to 0.052 ppm in sample B5, with an average of 0.015±0.004 ppm. Ni concentrations ranged from 0.014 ppm in sample B10 to 0.136 ppm in sample B1, with an average of 0.038±0.008 ppm. Cu concentrations ranged from 0.012 ppm in sample B12 to 0.461 ppm in sample B11, with an average of 0.135±0.030 ppm. ρ(Track/cm2*h) = 18.6CU - 12.5 R² = 0.9984 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Track density track/cm2*h Uranium Concentration( ppb) IHJPAS. 2025,38(2) 138 Table 1. Levels of uranium concentration and heavy elements concentration in blood samples taken from residents of Ishtar village. Heavy element conc. ( ppm) U conc. (μg/L) Gender Age (years) Symbol code Cu Ni Cd Pb 0.079 0.136 0.031 0.078 0.463 Male 34 B1 0.019 0.037 0.023 0.048 0.549 Female 38 B2 0.154 0.043 0.004 0.071 0.404 Male 20 B3 0.222 0.022 0.006 0.097 0.580 Male 47 B4 0.197 0.017 0.052 0.112 0.528 Male 48 B5 0.031 0.047 ND 0.019 0.491 Male 29 B6 0.185 0.086 0.043 0.036 0.752 Female 35 B7 0.016 0.018 ND 0.083 0.708 Female 46 B8 0.132 0.024 0.003 0.027 0.629 Male 27 B9 0.077 0.014 ND 0.045 0.571 Female 43 B10 0.461 0.037 ND 0.168 0.647 Male 55 B11 0.012 0.027 0.002 0.025 0.658 Female 25 B12 0.233 0.032 0.034 0.119 0.671 Male 57 B13 0.125 0.018 ND 0.082 0.481 Male 44 B14 0.079 0.019 0.032 0.089 0.625 Male 36 B15 0.012 0.014 ND 0.019 0.404 Min 0.461 0.136 0.052 0.168 0.752 Max 0.135±0.030 0.038±0.008 0.015±0.004 0.073±0.010 0.583±0.025 Ave …….. …… ˂0.005 ˃0.1 0.5 Accepted limit Table 2 illustrates the levels of uranium and heavy elements in blood samples taken from residents of the Jeser Diyala. Uranium concentrations ranged from 0.282 μg/L in sample B23 to 0.913 μg/L in sample B29, with an average of 0.546±0.044 μg/L. Pb concentrations ranged from 0.018 ppm in sample B22 to 0.149 ppm in sample B24, with an average of 0.081±0.009 ppm. Cd concentrations ranged from ND to 0.047 ppm in sample B21, with an average of 0.016±0.004 ppm. Ni concentrations ranged from 0.013 ppm in sample B29 to 0.095 ppm in sample B18, with an average of 0.031±0.006 ppm. Cu concentrations ranged from 0.015 ppm in sample B30 to 0.472 ppm in sample B25, with an average of 0.168±0.033 ppm. IHJPAS. 2025,38(2) 139 Table 2. Levels of uranium concentration and heavy elements concentration in blood samples taken from residents of Jeser Diyala. Heavy element conc. (ppm) U conc. (μg/L) Gender Age (years) Symbol code Cu Ni Cd Pb 0.465 0.024 0.018 0.099 0.561 Female 51 B16 0.104 0.022 ND 0.053 0.520 Female 26 B17 0.145 0.095 0.035 0.138 0.733 Female 50 B18 0.161 0.013 ND 0.056 0.691 Male 31 B19 0.071 0.017 ND 0.041 0.587 Male 39 B20 0.150 0.016 0.047 0.095 0.421 Male 42 B21 0.144 0.021 ND 0.018 0.625 Male 52 B22 0.125 0.086 0.012 0.081 0.282 Female 34 B23 0.179 0.034 0.023 0.149 0.544 Male 58 B24 0.472 0.029 0.046 0.143 0.575 Male 54 B25 0.112 0.016 ND 0.083 0.662 Male 37 B26 0.128 0.033 0.003 0.066 0.329 Male 28 B27 0.114 0.015 0.031 0.057 0.298 Female 31 B28 0.145 0.013 0.014 0.081 0.913 Female 45 B29 0.015 0.035 0.016 0.051 0.448 Female 28 B30 0.015 0.013 ND 0.018 0.282 Min 0.472 0.095 0.047 0.149 0.913 Max 0.168±0.033 0.031±0.006 0.016±0.004 0.081±0.009 0.546±0.044 Ave ……. ……. ˂0.005 ˃0.1 0.5 Accepted limit Table 3 shows the levels of uranium and heavy elements in blood samples taken from residents of the AL-Wardiya. Uranium concentrations ranged from 0.275μg/L in sample B34 to 0.931μg/L in sample B43, with an average of 0.439±0.054μg/L. Pb concentrations ranged from 0.008 ppm in sample B34 to 0.109 ppm in sample B32, with an average of 0.072±0.007 ppm. Cd concentrations ranged from ND to 0.073 ppm in sample B43, with an average of 0.019±0.005 ppm. Ni concentrations ranged from 0.011 ppm in sample B45 to 0.086 ppm in sample B41, with an average of 0.029±0.004 ppm. Cu concentrations ranged from 0.011 ppm in sample B43 to 0.413 ppm in sample B41, with an average of 0.141±0.031 ppm. IHJPAS. 2025,38(2) 140 Table 3. Levels of uranium concentration and heavy elements concentration in blood samples taken from residents of AL-Wardiya. Heavy element conc. ( ppm) U conc. (μg/L) Gender Age (years) Symbol code Cu Ni Cd Pb 0.404 0.017 0.022 0.096 0.632 Female 57 B31 0.155 0.029 0.030 0.109 0.416 Male 58 B32 0.177 0.042 0.017 0.061 0.321 Male 30 B33 0.148 0.032 0.001 0.008 0.275 Female 24 B34 0.021 0.013 0.014 0.099 0.314 Male 41 B35 0.068 0.024 ND 0.088 0.326 Female 55 B36 0.121 0.022 ND 0.054 0.456 Female 23 B37 0.132 0.045 0.023 0.066 0.332 Female 34 B38 0.015 0.035 0.013 0.028 0.290 Female 29 B39 0.157 0.024 0.016 0.106 0.341 Male 53 B40 0.413 0.086 0.053 0.101 0.325 Male 44 B41 0.147 0.016 ND 0.081 0.902 Male 39 B42 0.011 0.038 0.073 0.057 0.931 Male 27 B43 0.063 0.011 0.014 0.074 0.336 Female 39 B44 0.091 0.011 0.003 0.063 0.395 Female 34 B45 0.011 0.011 ND 0.008 0.275 Min 0.413 0.086 0.073 0.109 0.931 Max 0.141±0.031 0.029±0.004 0.019±0.005 0.072±0.007 0.439±0.054 Ave ……. …….. ˂0.005 ˃0.1 0.5 Accepted limit Table 4 shows the levels of uranium and heavy elements in blood samples taken from residents of the Tameem. Uranium concentrations ranged from 0.161μg/L in sample B59 to 0.942μg/L in sample B53, with an average of 0.390±0.042μg/L. Pb concentrations ranged from 0.038 ppm in sample B54 to 0.127 ppm in sample B48, with an average of 0.084±0.007 ppm. Cd concentrations ranged from ND to 0.072 ppm in sample B59, with an average of 0.026±0.06 ppm. Ni concentrations ranged from 0.015 ppm in sample B46 to 0.079 ppm in sample B47, with an average of 0.032±0.004 ppm. Cu concentrations ranged from 0.019 ppm in sample B51 to 0.410 ppm in sample B47, with an average of 0.115±0.025 ppm. IHJPAS. 2025,38(2) 141 Table 4. Levels of uranium concentration and heavy elements concentration in blood samples taken from residents of Tameem. Heavy element conc. ( ppm) U conc. (μg/L) Gender Age (years) Symbol code Cu Ni Cd Pb 0.024 0.015 ND 0.057 0.347 Male 33 B46 0.410 0.079 0.029 0.121 0.349 Female 42 B47 0.021 0.045 0.057 0.127 0.327 Female 36 B48 0.042 0.016 0.058 0.098 0.329 Male 45 B49 0.133 0.035 ND 0.056 0.320 Female 23 B50 0.019 0.045 0.027 0.049 0.407 Male 30 B51 0.132 0.019 ND 0.086 0.341 Male 32 B52 0.174 0.024 0.039 0.102 0.942 Female 55 B53 0.094 0.019 0.030 0.038 0.360 Male 40 B54 0.128 0.025 0.015 0.094 0.375 Female 52 B55 0.104 0.022 0.021 0.085 0.417 Female 56 B56 0.154 0.023 0.033 0.113 0.370 Male 60 B57 0.054 0.055 ND 0.097 0.450 Male 38 B58 0.057 0.032 0.072 0.045 0.161 Female 21 B59 0.188 0.021 0.013 0.099 0.355 Male 59 B60 0.019 0.015 ND 0.038 0.161 Min 0.410 0.079 0.072 0.127 0.942 Max 0.115±0.025 0.032±0.004 0.026±0.006 0.084±0.007 0.390±0.042 Ave …… …… ˂0.005 ˃0.1 0.5 Accepted limit 4. Discussion Based on the results obtained, it was found that the Ishtar village and Jeser Diyala have the highest concentration of uranium in blood samples, exceeding the permissible limit set by the World Health Organization (WHO), which is 0.5 μg/L (24). The elevated uranium concentration in Ishtar and Jeser Diyala is due to its proximity to the Atomic Energy Organization, which housed numerous laboratories and storage facilities containing a lot of equipment and hundreds of containers of radioactive materials that were looted in April 2003. Containers of radioactive materials were poured into farms, rivers, and even household drains. Some empty containers were used as water vessels, and the individuals involved were unaware of the consequences of their actions (25).The scientist Tully, specializing in radiation, who visited Tuwaitha and its surroundings as part of the Greenpeace team, conducted field radiation measurements. She announced that people in areas close to the Atomic Energy Organization receive radiation within half an hour, equivalent to the maximum limit a person receives in a year, exposing them to significant risks of cancer and other diseases. Scientist Tully found radioactive contamination in one of the houses there that exceeded the permissible limit by more than 10,000 times (25). Regarding gender, the findings indicated that males had higher uranium concentrations than females, as shown in Figure 3, most likely because females have a total blood volume of 4–5 liters as opposed to males 5–6 liters (26). However, statistical analysis demonstrated that there was no discernible variation in the amounts of uranium concentration between males and females. (P˃0.01). IHJPAS. 2025,38(2) 142 Figure3. Comparison of uranium concentration in terms of gender. The blood samples from the research sites showed a weak positive relationship between age and uranium concentration (Figure 4). Food consumption and advancing age may be the reasons behind the accumulation of uranium in the body, which increases with exposure duration. Long-term effects may emerge due to continuous exposure to low levels of uranium over an extended period, including genetic effects and other impacts (27). Figure 4. Relationship between age and uranium concentration in blood. Many local and international studies have been conducted. The uranium content in blood samples of healthy individuals was found to be 0.28-0.83μg/L in Baghdad (28), 0.30-1.59μg/L in Babil, 0.91-2.15μg/L in Basra, 0.86-2.1μg/L in Thi-Qar, 0.92-2.029μg/L in Muthanna (29), and 0.032-0.202μg/L in Najaf (30). In Yugoslavia, uranium levels in blood samples from healthy persons were 0.005 μg/L. Factors such as sampling methods and analytical factors may contribute to the variations in the reported data regarding uranium concentration in blood samples (31).In this study, we also conducted an assessment of heavy metal (Pb, Cd, Ni, and Cu) pollution levels by collecting and analyzing 60 blood samples from the same individuals in the study areas using ICP-OES. The Tameem area had the highest Pb and Cd values. Emissions from vehicles using leaded gasoline, which is still used in many Middle Eastern 0.465 0.47 0.475 0.48 0.485 0.49 0.495 0.5 Male Female U ra n iu m c o n ce n tr a ti o n i n b lo o d (μ g /l ) y = 0.0031x+0.3657 R² = 0.0375 0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 U ra n iu m c o n ce n tr at io n in μ g/ l Age in Year IHJPAS. 2025,38(2) 143 countries, including Iraq, cause lead pollution. These findings align with those of another researcher in another country (32).The highest concentration of Ni was found in the village of Ishtar, and Cu was found in the Diyala Bridge area. This is attributed to the proximity of these two areas to the power generation station (such as the Egsyba station), which operates continuously, releasing gases and vapors into the surrounding areas around the clock. The results did not show any statistical significance in the average concentrations of heavy elements among the study areas.The average levels of heavy metals in blood samples from male and female subjects are shown in Figure 5. The average concentrations of heavy elements (Pb, Cd, and Cu) for males are higher than those for females, which may be attributed to working in various occupations (33). Figure5. Comparison of the concentration of heavy elements by gender. The highest concentrations of Pb and Cu were found in the age group 51-60 years, the highest concentration of cadmium was found in the age group 31-40 years, and nickel in the age group 20-30 years as shown in Figure 6. The reasons for these differences in heavy metal concentrations may be attributed to variations in exposure through inhaling dust and emissions from vehicles, which can increase the emissions of heavy metals in certain areas (34). Figure 6. Comparison of the concentration of heavy elements by age. Pb Cd Ni Cu 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2 1.4 1.6 Male Female H ea v y m et a ls c o n ce n tr a ti o n i n b lo o d (p p m ) Pb Cd Ni Cu Pb Cd Ni Cu 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 Age(20-30) Age(31-40) Age(41-50) Age(51-60) H ea v y m et a ls c o n ce n tr a ti o n i n b lo o d (p p m ) Pb Cd Ni Cu IHJPAS. 2025,38(2) 144 The Pearson correlation between heavy metals is shown in Table 5. A weak correlation was found between Cu and Cd, Ni and Cu, Pb and Cd, and Pb and Ni. On the other hand, a moderate positive correlation was found between Pb and Cu. Table 5. Correlation coefficient between Heavy element conc. Parameters Correlation coefficient-r Correlation coefficient-r P-value Pb & Cd 0.30 * 0.021 Pb & Ni 0.11 NS 0.416 Pb & Cu 0.53 ** 0.0001 Cd & Ni 0.27 * 0.042 Cd & Cu 0.11 NS 0.417 Ni & Cu 0.14 NS 0.298 * (P≤0.05), ** (P≤0.01), NS: Non-Significant. Table 6. Comparison of previous studies of heavy metals(ppm) with this study in blood. Country Pb Cd Ni Cu Reference Iraq(Diwanya) 0.0898±0.000 8 0.0432±0.006 0 ……… 0.1729±0.000 4 (35) Iraq(Najaf) 0.06 ……. ……. 1.61 (36) Iraq(Erbil) 6.67±0.26 1.39±0.04 2.04±0.08 ……. (33) Jordan …….. 0.0245 0.02059 0.0067 (38) Egypt ……… 0.00328 …….. 0.05032 (39) Baghdad(Ishtar) 0.073±0.010 0.015±0.004 0.038±0.00 8 0.135±0.030 Present study Baghdad(Jeser Diyala) 0.081±0.009 0.016±0.004 0.031±0.00 6 0.168±0.033 Baghdad(AL- Wardiya 0.072±0.007 0.019±0.005 0.029±0.00 4 0.141±0.031 Baghdad(Tamee m) 0.084±0.007 0.026±0.006 0.032±0.00 4 0.115±0.025 5. Conclusion This study assessed the amounts of heavy metals and uranium in blood samples taken from 60 people living in four areas (Ishtar, Jeser Diyala, AL-Wardiya, and Tameem) near the Iraqi Atomic Energy Organization. The results of this investigation showed that the uranium concentration in the village of Ishtar and the Jeser Diyala area is higher than the acceptable limit set by the World Health Organization (WHO), which is 0.5μg/L. The high levels of uranium in these areas pose a danger to the public's health and safety. The increase in uranium concentration in blood samples can be attributed to several possible reasons, including water pollution, food type, inhaling polluted air, and living near nuclear test sites, which expose individuals to internal and external radiation. The Iraqi Atomic Energy Organization in Baghdad can be considered a highly radioactive pollution site with a higher average dose than other areas, as it was heavily bombed during the wars in 1991 and 2003. Furthermore, we noticed that the highest concentrations of Pb and Cd was in the Tameem area, while the highest concentration of Ni was in the village of Ishtar and Cu in the Diyala Jeser area. The elevated concentrations of these elements in residential areas are attributed to pollution from vehicle emissions, sewage water, and solid waste. This leads to transferring these elements to humans and accumulating them in body tissues. 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