Detection of the levels of radioactive contamination in the muscle and bone tissues of ruminants (cattle and sheep) in some governorates of Ira

Abstract

        Every living organism exposed to the natural radiation from water, air, or soil. Consequently, radiation can enter a plant through the soil it grows in, the water it is watered with, or both. Once the radiation hits the plant, it spreads to animals, which then spread to people. Because radiation is passed from animals to people through the food chain, eating meat can have negative health effects. In the present investigation, 200 samples of the bones and muscles of sheep and cattle that were available in Iraq were examined for radioactivity., at a rate of 20 samples from each city (10 sheep samples, 10 cow samples). To determine the amounts of alpha emitter radiation released from the samples, which were gathered from ten Iraqi cities, the CR-39 nuclear trace detector was used Samples taken from Mosul were found to contain the lowest levels of uranium, While the highest levels of uranium were found in samples taken from the cities of Baghdad, Tikrit, and Kirkuk, respectively. The results of the statistical analysis showed significant differences in uranium levels between Baghdad and Nineveh (12.496) and between Kirkuk and Nineveh (11.826) respectively, According to Scheffe's paired comparisons test. The results of the current study also showed a significant increase in uranium levels in bones (12.087±1.829) compared to its levels in muscles (8.823±1.455) at a significance level of (0.05) In both sheep and cattle.   This is because the bones' tissue structure has a high capacity to absorb heavy substances. While there was no significant difference in uranium levels between sheep and cows, whether in bone or muscle tissue. The obtained results are lower than 35 Bq.kg^-1 the global allowed values according (UNSCEAR), and are safe for consumption.