Isotopes in Environmental and Health Studies最新文献

{"title":"A multi-tracer approach using stable isotopes and elements to assess provenance of Arapaima gigas.","authors":"Gilmar A Silva Filho, Fábio J V Costa, Clésia C Nascentes, Gabriela B Nardoto","doi":"10.1080/10256016.2026.2710121","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10256016.2026.2710121","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Commercially valuable fish face intense pressure from capture fisheries with demand for fish protein, whether farmed or wild-caught, growing globally. Consequently, the provenance of fish is increasingly vital to regulatory bodies, market chain actors, and consumers. The limitations of current fish provenance methods can be overcome using complementary techniques. Here, we applied a multi-tracer approach combining stable isotope ratios (<i>δ</i>¹³C and <i>δ</i>¹⁵N) and trace element mass fraction to assess the provenance of the Amazonian <i>pirarucu</i> (<i>Arapaima gigas</i>) in Brazil. Dorsal muscle samples from 79 individuals of known origin and management were analysed, including wild-caught fish from the Amazon and Tocantins-Araguaia river basins and farmed fish from intensive aquaculture systems. To evaluate the method under real market conditions, additional 52 samples obtained from commercial establishments in the Brazilian Federal District were included. Stable isotope analysis effectively differentiated management regimes and river basins, with <i>δ</i>¹³C providing the strongest discrimination. Trace element analysis revealed significant differences in cesium (Cs) and strontium (Sr) mass fractions between wild fish from the two basins, reflecting underlying geological and hydrological contrasts. Linear discrimination analysis (LDA) integrating isotopic and elemental data demonstrated a high discriminatory capacity of both isotopic and elemental tracers for distinguishing <i>pirarucu</i> samples according to origin and management category. Although the reference groups showed complete discrimination under cross-validation, commercial samples displayed broader dispersion within the discriminant space, suggesting heterogeneous sourcing patterns and potentially mixed supply chains. These findings demonstrate that the combined use of isotopic and elemental tracers offers a robust framework for assessing the provenance of freshwater fish and represents a valuable tool for fisheries monitoring and the enforcement of conservation measures.</p>","PeriodicalId":14597,"journal":{"name":"Isotopes in Environmental and Health Studies","volume":" ","pages":"1-21"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-08-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148712526","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"First evidence of autumnal southward migration of <i>Sympetrum fonscolombii</i> (Insecta: Odonata) from Europe and West Asia to the Levant using stable hydrogen isotope analysis.","authors":"Re'a Shaish, Jackson W Kusack, Keith A Hobson, Nir Sapir","doi":"10.1080/10256016.2026.2674952","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10256016.2026.2674952","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Insect migration is a massive and broad phenomenon, yet there are major knowledge gaps regarding the migration properties of this group. Many dragonfly species are considered migrants but only a few have been thoroughly studied, none of which migrate from Europe to other areas. The red-veined darter <i>Sympetrum fonscolombii</i> (Insecta: Odonata) is a common and widespread species which has recently expanded its range northwards in Europe and Asia. Recently, stable hydrogen isotope analysis showed that individuals from the Levant migrate north during spring, but no concrete evidence of a return southward autumn migration exists. To clarify the migratory status of <i>S. fonscolombii</i> in Israel, we collected observations from various sources (experts, citizen science and social media platforms), spanning all seasons and multiple years, and provide a first phenological description for the species in the area. Natal origins of individuals appearing on the Israeli coastline during autumn were inferred using stable hydrogen isotope analysis from wing samples in a spatially explicit probabilistic assignment. We found that the phenological pattern, with a peak in abundance between August and November, fits a migratory influx. The wing stable isotopes analysis resulted in a broad potential natal origin zone, covering a substantial part of the species' Eurasian range. These results provide the first direct evidence for a southward migration out of Europe and West Asia of <i>S. fonscolombii</i> or any other dragonfly species, with some individuals likely originating from the extreme northern parts of the species' known range.</p>","PeriodicalId":14597,"journal":{"name":"Isotopes in Environmental and Health Studies","volume":" ","pages":"1-18"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-07-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148520253","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Method dependency of exchangeable hydrogen determination in amino acids: a cautionary comparison of liquid- and vapor-phase equilibration.","authors":"Matthias Pilecky, Leonard I Wassenaar","doi":"10.1080/10256016.2026.2698122","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10256016.2026.2698122","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Stable hydrogen isotope analysis (<i>δ</i>²H) of organic compounds requires accurate correction for exchangeable hydrogen, yet this remains a major analytical challenge, particularly for amino acids. In this study, we evaluated the determination of exchangeable hydrogen fractions <i>f</i>_ex in a suite of amino acids using a multiple equilibration approach, comparing room-temperature liquid-water-phase equilibration with 90 °C online vapor equilibration using the UniPrep2 system. Theoretical <i>f</i>_ex values for the amino acids were derived from their molecular structure and compared with the experimentally determined values. Liquid equilibration yielded <i>f</i>_ex values that were generally consistent with theoretical expectations for most amino acids, indicating effective access to the exchangeable organic hydrogen pools. In contrast, online vapor equilibration frequently resulted in near-zero <i>f</i>_ex for several amino acids, particularly the hydrophobic and crystalline compounds, consistent with limited accessibility of exchangeable sites under heated, low-pressure equilibration conditions. Only a subset of amino acids (e.g. glycine, threonine) showed comparable results between the methods, while others exhibited clear method-dependent discrepancies or analytical artefacts (e.g. persistent water background for proline). A soluble protein (BSA) exhibited low but consistent exchangeability (∼ 4 %) with both approaches, highlighting the role of structural protection and accessibility in governing hydrogen exchange. Our findings demonstrate that experimentally derived <i>f</i>_ex values are likely to be significantly method- and compound-dependent and should be interpreted as operational parameters rather than intrinsic molecular constants. The observed variability has important implications for interlaboratory comparability and underscores the need for standardised methodologies and improved reference materials for compound-specific <i>δ</i>²H analysis of amino acids.</p>","PeriodicalId":14597,"journal":{"name":"Isotopes in Environmental and Health Studies","volume":" ","pages":"1-12"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148382060","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Integrated electrical resistivity and isotopic approach for delineating groundwater potential zones in a coastal urbanizing aquifer.","authors":"Surendar Natarajan, S Raveendran, Naveen Joseph, Jacob Noble","doi":"10.1080/10256016.2026.2688281","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10256016.2026.2688281","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Understanding recharge processes and surface-groundwater interactions in rapidly urbanizing coastal regions is essential for sustaining freshwater availability under growing climate and anthropogenic pressures. The objective of this study was to evaluate surface water-groundwater interactions and delineate groundwater potential zones (GWPZ) in coastal regions of Chengalpattu district, Tamil Nadu, using an integrated approach of water stable isotope analysis (<i>δ</i>¹⁸O, <i>δ</i>²H), analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and electrical resistivity survey (ERS). For the isotopic analysis, we collected precipitation, surface water, and groundwater samples for the pre-monsoon, monsoon, and post-monsoon seasons. The ERS was conducted to identify the aquifer geometry, fractures, and lineament for identifying the GWPZ. Seasonal variations in isotopic compositions were observed, with a depletion in isotopic compositions during the monsoon season in wells and lake waters, indicating a surface and groundwater interaction, and an isotopic enrichment during the pre-monsoon and post-monsoon seasons due to evaporation. Based on the <i>δ</i>¹⁸O-<i>δ</i>²H plot, two sources of groundwater recharge were discerned, (i) direct recharge from precipitation; (ii) recharge from the lakes. Using a conservative isotope (<i>δ</i>¹⁸O) mixing model, the contribution of lake to the groundwater was estimated. The average contribution from lake water to groundwater was found to be nearly 25 %. ERS using vertical electrical sounding identified true resistivity ranging from 13.10 to 59.49 Ω·m with an average resistivity value of 20.68 Ω·m. The integrated isotopic-geophysical approach provides an effective framework for understanding recharge dynamics and managing groundwater in coastal semi-urban environments.</p>","PeriodicalId":14597,"journal":{"name":"Isotopes in Environmental and Health Studies","volume":" ","pages":"1-33"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148338515","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Health risks in association with indoor radon, thoron and progeny exposure, and contribution of thoron progeny to total inhalation dose in Bangui city, Central African Republic.","authors":"Yves Omon, Serge Didier Takoukam Soh, Gilbert Yvon Mbesse-Kogbonga, Saïdou, Chutima Kranrod, Shinji Tokonami, Patrice Ele Abiama, Germain Hubert Ben-Bolie, Pierre Owono Ateba","doi":"10.1080/10256016.2026.2685677","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10256016.2026.2685677","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Measurement of radon, thoron, and their progeny was conducted in 49 dwellings in Bangui city, Central African Republic, followed by the annual inhalation dose assessment. The measurements were performed by passive-type radon-thoron discriminative detectors and thoron progeny monitors exposed for a 3-month period. The geometric means of indoor radon, thoron, radon progeny and thoron progeny concentrations (geometric standard deviations, GSDs) were 123 Bq m^-3 (1.2), 76 Bq m⁠^-⁠3 (3.0), 49 Bq m^-3 (1.2), 5.2 Bq m^-3 (2.5), respectively. The average value of the equilibrium factor of thoron, the total annual effective dose, excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR) × 10^-3, and lung cancer cases (LCC) × 10^-9 measured in 49 dwellings were 0.10 ± 0.07, 4.12 ± 0.93 mSv y^-1, 12.28 ± 2.78 and 74.2 ± 16.8, respectively. The contribution of thoron and its progeny to the total inhalation dose varies from 5 to 64 % with an average value of 34 %. Total annual effective doses for indoor radon, thoron and their progeny be much lower than the International Commission of Radiological Protection (ICRP) recommended range of 3-10 mSv y^-1 and the World Health Organization's (WHO) limit of 10 mSv y^-1. The findings suggest that indoor radon, thoron, and their progeny concentrations in Bangui dwellings are within safe limits, supporting the need for continued monitoring and public awareness programmes to maintain low exposure levels and mitigate potential long-term health risks, particularly lung cancer, in line with global radiation protection guidelines.</p>","PeriodicalId":14597,"journal":{"name":"Isotopes in Environmental and Health Studies","volume":" ","pages":"1-20"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148264437","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluating carbon (<i>δ</i>¹³C) and nitrogen (<i>δ</i>¹⁵N) isotopic discrimination in egg components of a captive shorebird to better understand carry-over effects in oviparous species.","authors":"Kirsty E B Gurney, Jordyn A Stalwick, Kevin J Kardynal, Chantel I Michelson, Keith A Hobson","doi":"10.1080/10256016.2026.2684078","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10256016.2026.2684078","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>An understanding of carry-over effects in oviparous wildlife - and thus effective conservation - requires knowledge of how nutrients are allocated during egg production. Stable isotope analysis is commonly used to estimate the contribution of nutrients from body reserves (endogenous) versus those from diet (exogenous) to eggs. However, reliable inference about oviparous nutrient allocation strategies is dependent on isotopic discrimination factors, which are highly variable, species specific, and often based on data for a limited number of species. To determine carbon (<i>δ</i>¹³C) and nitrogen (<i>δ</i>¹⁵N) discrimination factors for birds' eggs, we conducted a feeding trial with captive killdeer (<i>Charadrius vociferus</i>) and measured <i>δ</i>¹³C and <i>δ</i>¹⁵N values in whole food, food constituents (protein and lipid-based), egg components (albumen, whole yolk, lipid-free yolk, and yolk lipid), and somatic tissues (pectoral muscle, subcutaneous fat) in females. We calculated diet and component specific discrimination factors and used Bayesian stable isotope mixing models to evaluate changes in nutrient allocation over the course of the egg-laying period. Our results show that discrimination factors in killdeer are distinct from those reported for other species and suggest seasonally variable endogenous nutrient inputs to protein-based egg components in this system. The first study to report these types of data for a shorebird, our findings provide new insights about the relationships between avian nutrition, reproduction, and potential carry-over effects.</p>","PeriodicalId":14597,"journal":{"name":"Isotopes in Environmental and Health Studies","volume":" ","pages":"1-15"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-06-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148239234","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Disentangling shared and divergent life histories with age-based eye lens isotope records in a coastal shark.","authors":"Jonathon P Kuntz, Alyssa A B Cooper, Pathirannahalage Buddhi M Pathirana, Miranda Bell-Tilcock, James A Hobbs, Sora L Kim","doi":"10.1080/10256016.2026.2668747","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10256016.2026.2668747","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Documenting lifetime diet preference and habitat use is critical for understanding how long-lived, mobile species respond to ecological change, yet such data remain sparse - particularly for comparisons within and among individuals, species, and populations. Eye lens layers (laminae) provide a biochemical archive that records these ecological signals sequentially through time, creating a unique opportunity to reconstruct entire life histories. This approach is especially valuable for elusive chondrichthyans (sharks, skates, rays, and chimeras), whose ecological importance as meso- to apex predators contrasts with the logistical challenges of tracking their movements and resource use. Stable isotope analysis (SIA) of vertebral growth bands is the established method for aging and reconstructing isotopic life histories in chondrichthyans, but eye lens laminae represent a promising yet under-verified alternative. We compared <i>δ</i>¹³C and <i>δ</i>¹⁵N values derived from eye lens laminae and vertebral bands of wild leopard sharks (<i>Triakis semifasciata</i>) to evaluate the ecological utility of eye lenses. Eye lens diameter increased linearly with total length (<i>R</i>²  =  0.95); however, because older laminar cells become progressively compacted, we incorporated a compaction index derived from attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy into aging models. This integration yielded age-specific <i>δ</i>¹³C and <i>δ</i>¹⁵N patterns that closely mirrored those observed in vertebral centra. Across ages, <i>δ</i>¹³C offsets between eye lens laminae and vertebrae were inconsistent, whereas <i>δ</i>¹⁵N values were largely concordant, with only modest increases in the outer laminae. To further verify eye lens isotopic records, we compared <i>δ</i>¹³C and <i>δ</i>¹⁵N values from the terminal eye lens lamina and muscle tissue, enabling estimation of age-specific tissue discrimination factors for both isotopes. Finally, eye lens isotope profiles revealed shared and divergent life history patterns across four Central California estuaries. Collectively, our results highlight eye lens laminae as a robust isotopic substrate for reconstructing lifetime ecological context in chondrichthyans.</p>","PeriodicalId":14597,"journal":{"name":"Isotopes in Environmental and Health Studies","volume":" ","pages":"1-31"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-06-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148239200","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Wintering locations of Least Bittern breeding in Canada assessed using stable isotope methods.","authors":"Geoff Koehler, Benoît Jobin, Nick Bartok, Steven L Van Wilgenburg","doi":"10.1080/10256016.2026.2680721","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10256016.2026.2680721","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Understanding the spatial linkages between breeding and non-breeding grounds of migratory species is important for assessing factors influencing population-specific trends and to guide regional conservation actions. In Canada, the Least Bittern (<i>Botaurus exilis</i>) is considered threatened under the Species at Risk Act. Due to the secretive behaviour of this small heron, information regarding migratory pathways and wintering locations is limited. To estimate the geographic locations of potential wintering grounds, we collected body contour feathers from museum specimens of Least Bittern sampled from across their breeding range in Canada. We measured the hydrogen, carbon, and nitrogen isotopic compositions of feathers to estimate the locations of Least Bittern wintering grounds using assignment-to-origin algorithms. The regions of the highest likelihood of origin of sampled Least Bittern were wintering sites in Mexico, central America along the Gulf Coast, and possibly coastal and Amazonian South America. Habitat loss is acknowledged as the main contributor to the population decline of Least Bittern, and these results may help understand potential factors driving their populations and support conservation and management efforts across their wintering range.</p>","PeriodicalId":14597,"journal":{"name":"Isotopes in Environmental and Health Studies","volume":" ","pages":"1-18"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-06-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148211306","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Measurement of radon concentrations in vegetable and soil, and evaluation of lifetime cancer risk using a CR-39 detector.","authors":"Khabat Kamaran Muhamad, Najeba Farhad Salih","doi":"10.1080/10256016.2025.2580681","DOIUrl":"10.1080/10256016.2025.2580681","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Exposure to radon contributes to more than 50 % of the total radiation dose received from natural sources by human beings; therefore, radon measurements are crucial in monitoring human health and safety. It can migrate from the soil into plants, further contributing to human exposure through the consumption of contaminated vegetables. The present study aims to determine the concentration of radon in 18 different types of vegetable collected from Bazyan location in Kurdistan Iraqi region which are frequently consumed because most of the population in Kurdistan depend on those vegetable foods. In methodology, CR-39 detector and PVC tube were used to record the tracks of alpha particles released from the radon content within the vegetable samples. The results showed that the concentration levels of radon in vegetable samples ranged from the highest value 310.963 Bq m^-3 in the green peppers sample to lowest value 9.830 Bq m^-3 in the wild rocket sample, with an average concentration in the samples of 161.965 Bq m^-3. Therefore, the concentrations of radon in vegetable samples were lower than the global permissibility limit of exposure to radon according to the International Commission on Radiological Protection and the International Atomic Energy Agency (200-800 Bq m^-3). Results were also found to be lower than the 400 Bq m^-3 according to ICRP in foods; therefore, this will not form any risk on human life.</p>","PeriodicalId":14597,"journal":{"name":"Isotopes in Environmental and Health Studies","volume":" ","pages":"337-354"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147372530","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluation of biological radiation hazards due to alpha emitter isotopes and background radiation in pediatric medications consumed by children in Erbil City, Iraq.","authors":"Sardar Qader Othman","doi":"10.1080/10256016.2025.2592666","DOIUrl":"10.1080/10256016.2025.2592666","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study provides a radiological evaluation of commonly used pediatric medications obtained from pharmacies in Erbil, focusing on the measurement of naturally occurring radionuclides-²²²Rn, ²²⁶Ra, and ²³⁸U-and the associated internal exposure concerns. The investigation quantified radionuclide concentrations and assessed dose-related parameters, including dose rate, annual effective dose (AED), average annual internal effective dose (AAIED), and health hazard indices such as excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR) and risk of an excess cancer fatality per million persons (RECFPMP). All measured radioactive quantities were within safety thresholds established by UNSCEAR, ICRP, WHO, and EPA. In all pediatric medication samples, ²²²Rn concentrations were below legal limits, while ²²⁶Ra and ²³⁸U levels also met international reference standards. The calculated AED and AAIED values remained within permissible exposure limits, indicating negligible radiological danger. However, ELCR values (2.50-6.57 × 10^-³) exceeded minimal international risk thresholds, with the highest value observed in sample S21, suggesting a non-negligible long-term concern. These findings highlight the need for continuous monitoring and stricter quality control, particularly for imported medicines, to ensure long-term safety in this vulnerable population. From a regulatory perspective, the results support incorporating radiological screening into pharmaceutical quality assurance programs by the Iraqi Ministry of Health and drug importation agencies. Overall, while pediatric medications in Erbil appear radiologically safe, ongoing surveillance is warranted to mitigate potential risks from elevated activity concentrations in selected samples.</p>","PeriodicalId":14597,"journal":{"name":"Isotopes in Environmental and Health Studies","volume":" ","pages":"317-336"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145604011","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}