The Impact of Concentrations of Some Heavy Elements in the Blood of Children under Fifteen in Basrah Governorate and Their Incidence of Cancerous Diseases

Abstract

The study is based on analyzing the spatiotemporal pattern of children under fifteen years old diagnosed with cancerous diseases in Basrah Governorate during the period 2010–2023, to identify the geographical distribution of cases and determine the concentrations of elements in the blood. The study relied on measuring concentrations of some heavy elements in children’s blood and clarifying their effects, contributing to providing a comprehensive picture of the number of cases and deaths in the study area and the impact of environmental pollution on the spread of diseases among children.

The variation in concentrations of some heavy elements indicates concentration in large districts such as Basrah and Al-Zubair, where pollution rates are higher, as these districts accounted for the highest spatial values of some elements.