Assessment of natural radioactivity levels in widely used food spices in the Iraqi Kurdistan region and their associated radiological risks

Barzan Sabr; Salih Omer Haji; Hiwa Azeez; Mohammed Issa Hussein; Jahfer Majeed Smail

doi:10.21271/ZJPAS.35.6.3

Authors

Barzan Nehmat Sabr Department of Physics, College of Science, Salahaddin University – Erbil, Erbil, Iraq https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4764-6058
Salih Omer Haji Department of Physics, College of Science, Salahaddin University – Erbil, Erbil, Iraq. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6291-6423
Hiwa H. Azeez Department of Physics, College of Education, Salahaddin University – Erbil, Erbil, Iraq. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8209-1019
Mohammed Issa Hussein Department of Physics, College of Science, Salahaddin University – Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq. https://orcid.org/0009-0008-0830-1162
Jahfer Majeed Smail Department of Physics, Faculty of Health and Science, Koya University, Erbil, Iraq. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7704-7155

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21271/ZJPAS.35.6.3

Keywords:

radioactivity, food spice, radiological hazards, HP-Ge detector, annual effective dose

Abstract

In this research, the activity concentration of naturally occurring radioactive nuclides in 19 widely consumed spices in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region was determined. For the radioactivity evaluation, gamma-ray spectrometry equipment with high purity-germanium detectors (HP-Ge) was utilized. The activity concentrations of ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th, ⁴⁰K, and ¹³⁷Cs ranged from BMDA (Below Minimum Detectable Activity) (for cumin) to 4.65 ± 0.37 Bq.Kg^-1(for learners), 0.06 ± 0.02 (for ring) to 3.79 ± 0.26 Bq.Kg^-1(learners), 37.8 ± 2.09 (for ring) to 869.95 ± 36.92 Bq.Kg^-1 (for turmeric), and BMDA to 1.83 ± 0.63 Bq.Kg^-1(for cloves), respectively. On the basis of these results, the radiological hazard indices associated with the use of food spices were calculated. The total ingestion annual effective dose (IAED) of ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th, and ⁴⁰K ranged between 0.25 and 5.66 µSv.y^-1. The dose of naturally occurring radionuclides was less than the recommended limit, and there are no radiological risks associated with the consumption of food spices. This sort of baseline information will very probably be crucial for estimating population exposure.

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