Measurement of 210Po in Iranian smokers' and non-smokers' teeth

Thirty human tooth samples were collected from smoker and non-smoker groups with different ages and different sexes from north of Iran. The samples were analysed by a radiochemical procedure, and the prepared source by spontaneous electrolysis was measured by an alpha spectrometry to determine activity concentrations of 210Po in teeth. The results indicated that the average 210Po concentration in Iranian human teeth is 3.94 ± 2.38 mBq g−1. The measured mean activity concentrations of 210Po in smokers' and non-smokers' teeth were 5.89 ± 3.59 and 2.55 ± 1.00 mBq g−1, respectively. The detailed analysis of 30 tooth samples of Iranian population revealed that smoking habits and age may have some influence on 210Po content in teeth, although this is not the case of difference in sex.