Abstract
In this work, the X-ray fluorescence (XRF) technique was used to investigate the concentration of elements in gallbladder stones for smokers and non-smokers. Many elements have been detected in the non-smoker gallstone samples. The most important elements include calcium (Ca), potassium (K), phosphorous (P), magnesium (Mg), sodium (Na), iron (Fe) and lead (Pb). However, significantly, concentrations of the most toxic elements have been found within the group of the smokers. The maximum concentrations of toxic elements such as lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd) and cobalt (Co) were found in people older than 60 years. Furthermore, the minimum concentrations of the trace elements calcium (Ca), phosphorous (P) and sodium (Na) were detected in this age group. The relative statistics of Ca concentration in smokers' and non-smokers' were studied, and these groups were divided according to age. It was concluded that the maximum Ca concentration for non-smokers was found in the 20- to 40-year age group when compared with the other groups.
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