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Elements like potassium, calcium, iron, zinc, copper, selenium and lead were analyzed in human blood samples collected from different cancer patients as well as some healthy persons applying Particle Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE) technique at the Institute of Physics, Bhubaneswar. The results obtained were compared and discussed with the reported literature values. Some blood elements were found varying significantly in cancer patients compared to those of their healthy counterparts, which could suggest that fluctuations in trace element profiles in whole blood possibly can be used as a diagnostic tool as well as a prognostic index in cancer.

In the present technique, an amount of radon gas (2210 ± 5.1 Bq/m³) is collected in a tight PVC chamber equipped with two sources of radium (5 μCi). Blood samples and the pieces of CR-39NTDs are exposed (together) to a known radon concentration for different periods of exposure. Complete blood test and the computer scanning for each piece of CR-39NTDs before and after exposure are carried out. The results show a 95% retention of radon gas in the present technique during the exposure. Thus, the present technique is considered a better technique in terms of conservation of gas, because of the low rate of loss of the gas (4.915%), and this is the advantage of the present technique: keeping the concentration of gas during periods of exposure as much as possible. Deposition of the alpha particles, which are emitted from radon daughters, has reduced the number of platelets in both gender, and this is dependent on the energies of the alpha particles. Exposure time and the energy loss of the alpha particles within the target (blood and CR-39) through the atomic displacements are considered important parameters in the changes of platelet count. At 20-minute exposure time, the rate of absorption dose is 2.255 ± 0.11 μSv and the platelet count reduces rapidly.