Scientific Article
The Honorable Mrs. Dean of the College of Education for Pure Sciences, Prof. Hamida Idan Salman, obtained the acceptance to publish a scientific article tagged with the title (Radioactive Contamination of Food) by the Scientific Articles Committee at the Presidency of Karbala University after the article fulfilled all publication conditions. (Prof. Dr. Hamida Idan Salman) stated that due to the continuous increase in the use of radioactive sources in every part of human life, whether industrial, military, agricultural or medical, which increases the chances of radioactive contamination and increases the amount of exposure to ionizing radiation externally and internally, and on it increases the need for Measurement of radioactivity in samples of liquid and solid food and drinking water, which can reach us from the radiation coming from the space around us, as well as it can occur naturally in the water we drink or in the soil, and radiation may occur as a result of man-made, such as X-rays, Atomic power plants. The radioactive elements arise from the decay of the chains of uranium 238U, 235U, thorium 232Th, and potassium 40K. In addition to cosmic rays and rays in the human body and others, radioactive elements are found in water, air, soil, rocks, building materials, and in the products of the petroleum, chemical, metallurgical, cement and fertilizer industries. The various radioactive elements present in the environment, regardless of whether they are natural or artificial, are like other non-radioactive elements. They can reach the components of the daily food chain through water, air and soil, and then enter the human body and cause biological damage to the target tissues and organs. There are many factors that complicate the problem of food contamination with radioactive materials, including the presence of many radioactive isotopes that have distinct physical and chemical properties. During the harvest period, its impact is greater, and when the pollution is superficial, broad-leaved plants have the greatest effects on humans, such as chard, cabbage, lettuce, spinach, and fruits that do not remove their peel, such as grapes and berries. Their bodies also rise in milk when animals eat contaminated plants, as the contamination of the food chain by radiation through water and soil is less dangerous than contamination of plants. Animals and fish may be contaminated with radiation if the amount of water is small, while the danger of pollution in seas, rivers and large oceans is reduced.
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