Determining Radon Gas Concentrations in Tobacco Varieties Sold in the Regional Market, Iraq

This study attempted to determine radon gas concentrations in several tobacco varieties. Twenty-three different brands of cigarette tobacco were gathered from various businesses located in local marketplaces using the nuclear track detector LR-115 type II procedures. An LR-115 type II sensor was etched with NaOH solution at 60 °C for 1 h at the end of the exposure duration. The tracks of alpha particles were counted using a light microscope with magnification. Concentrations of radon ranged from 0.913 to 514.637 Bq/m3, with a mean value of 184.929 Bq/m3. The maximum value was found in the sample from UAE (T21), while the minimum value was found in that from Egypt (T16). The findings of this study indicate that high concentrations of radon gas in cigarettes pose a substantial risk to human health, including the risk of lung cancer, and, as a consequence, may increase the number of fatalities caused by high radon doses. In all tobacco cigarette brands, a high relationship was observed between radon concentrations and lung cancer per million people annually.