Abstract
In this research, the activity concentrations of 40 K, 232Th and 226Ra in 41 grass samples collected from Kars region, Turkey, were determined using gamma ray spectrometry. Natural radioactivity concentrations in animal food products were calculated based on activity concentrations of these radionuclides in pasture-grass samples and dry-grass consumption of animals. The average annual effective dose from these radionuclides for local consumers due to indirect ingestion of cow milk, sheep milk, poultry, mutton and beef consumption have been calculated as 9.01, 0.24, 1.76, 0.38 and 5.25 µSv y-1, respectively. Furthermore, the calculated average annual effective dose values for adults are within the values found in other countries worldwide. These results show that animal products can be safe for human consumption in terms of radiation exposure due to the natural radionuclides studied.
Highlights
Determination of environmental radioactivity levels is essential to estimate the radiation levels to which people are directly or indirectly exposed
The estimating values for the daily dry matter feed intakes of farm animals are given in Table 2 and transfer factors of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K radionuclides from dry matter feed to animal products are shown in the Table 3
Based on the concentration of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K radionuclides in each portion of the pasture and the amount of grass eaten by the animals, it was found that the concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K radionuclides calculated in each animal product would be different
Summary
Determination of environmental radioactivity levels is essential to estimate the radiation levels to which people are directly or indirectly exposed. They found that when the water and milk data were considered, the dose value increases to 29 μSv10 Occurring radionuclides such as 40 K, 232Th, and 226Ra find their way to reach the food chain from soil and air to plants, and from plants to animals and to human beings[11]. As a result of the study conducted in Egypt; the irradiation risk of human health was evaluated owing to indirect ingestion of the beef, milk, poultry and egg, the annual effective dose of the radionuclides for the local consumer was found to be as 2.7, 14.0, 0.1, and 0.14 μSv, respectively[14]. The results of this study have been used to describe the annual effective dose to the local population due to ingestion of natural radionuclides in animal products
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