Determining the radium concentration in vegetables and fruits in Al-Najaf, Iraq

Abstract

Amount of pollution radiation in foodstuffs and feedstuffs are very necessary to measure because it is a direct contact with human and animal health. Therefore, the present investigation is useful for the health and environmental data base. The study included measurement of effective radium-226 content (CRa) in some chosen samples of vegetables and fruits (local and imported) in Najaf governorate. The CRa were measured in samples of vegetables and fruits using Solid State Nuclear Track Detectors (LR-115 Type II). Also, the annual effective dose (AED) associated with the exposure due to annual intake of 226Ra were calculated from ingestion of vegetables and fruits samples for adults. The results were revealed that the average value of CRa in vegetables and fruits samples in the present study was 3.98±1.08 Bq/kg and 1.73±0.11 Bq/kg, respectively. While, the average of AED (mSv/y) for vegetables and fruits samples was 0.067±0.018 and 0.082±0.005, respectively. Also, the results showed that the average value of AED from fruits consumption is larger than in vegetables, but the result is not significant. All results of the CRa and AED of the studied samples had been compared with the worldwide reported value (median). Accordingly, it was found that all findings were lower than that of the recommended limits of the UNSCEAR 2000. Finally, based on present investigations, no health risk expected when considering eating vegetables and fruits of Al-Najaf of Iraq. Keywords: Alpha emitters, Food contamination, Radium-226, Herbal samples, Al-Najaf.