Assessment of Radiological Hazards from Radon Gas in Vegetables Consumed in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq

Abstract

This study deals with radon concentrations and associated radiological hazard parameters due to ingestion of radon in vegetable samples collected randomly from eleven sites in the Ranya district, Iraq. An active detector (RAD7) was employed to monitor radon levels. The concentration of radon in the analyzed vegetable samples ranged from 6.23 to 33.20 Bq/m³ with a mean value of 15.38 Bq/m³. These concentrations were significantly below the global average recommended by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP). The estimated mean annual effective doses for children and adults were 0.336 and 0.308 μSv/year, respectively, which were also lower than the global reference values. The mean excess lifetime cancer risks were calculated as 1.293 × 10^–6 for children and 1.186 × 10^–6 for adults, indicating levels within internationally accepted safety limits for human consumption. The findings highlight the importance of ongoing monitoring and suggest further research needed to assess the transfer mechanisms of radionuclides from soil to edible crops.