Primordial radionuclide measurements and elemental concentrations in some vegetables grown in agricultural fields and under greenhouse conditions in the Kurdistan region

This study measured natural radioactive materials using NaI(Tl) gamma ray spectrometry and elements using X-ray fluorescence. It was obtained from vegetables, virgin soil, and fertilized soil in seventeen farming regions, nine of which were greenhouse fields in Kurdistan. Considering radiation hazard indices, the perspective of safety indicates that consuming vegetables over a lifetime poses no potential harm to human health. The statistical analysis showed that ²²⁶Ra positively correlates with ²³²Th and somewhat with silicon and aluminum. ²³²Th correlated moderately with silicon and weakly with calcium and aluminum. ⁴⁰K inversely correlates with ²²⁶Ra and ²³²Th, implying different geological origins.