Assessment of DNA Damage in Peripheral Blood Lymphocytes of Radiation Workers at Al-Tuwaitha Site by Using the Sister Chromatid Exchange and the Comet Assay

The sister chromatid exchange was performed on peripheral blood lymphocytes obtained from 40 individuals of workers occupationally exposed to low ionizing radiation doses in Al-Tuwaitha site due to decommissioning to radioactive contamination then compared with 40 control individuals living in Baghdad. SCEs were scored in metaphase chromosomes were identified by fluorescent plus Giemsa staining (Figure 2).The mean frequencies of SCEs per cell differed significantly (p≺0 0.05) between individuals of radiation workers and control, being 7.78 0.45 SCE/cells and 6.28 0.22 SCE/cells , respectively. However SCE frequency was statistically significant (P≺0 0.05) among radiation workers as compared to control individuals.