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Radiological health assessment of infant milk in Erbil Governorate, Iraq

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Abstract

In this research, the radioactivity caused by natural radionuclides (40 K, 232Th, and 226Ra) was evaluated in infant milk consumed in Erbil, Iraq. The measurements were performed using an HPGe gamma-ray spectrometer. The variation of activity concentrations in milk samples was (99.56–256.9 Bq kg−1) for 40 K, (BDL–0.53 Bq kg−1) for 232Th, and (0.27–5.59 Bq kg−1) for 226Ra, as determined by the results. The radiological parameters of Eing, Dorg, and ELCR were calculated and compared to international standards. The correlation between computed radiological hazard parameters and natural radionuclides was analyzed statistically using Pearson’s correlation. Overall, the results indicate that infant milk consumption in Erbil is radiologically safe and that consumers of these brands of milk are unlikely to be directly exposed to radiological health risks.

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Data availability

Any datasets not included in this published work are available upon reasonable request from the corresponding author; however, all data produced or analyzed during this investigation are contained in it.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, College of Science, Salahaddin University-Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Erbil City, Iraq

    Ahmed I. Samad & Ali H. Ahmed

  2. Faculty of Medicine, Koya University, Kurdistan Region - F.R, Koya KOY45, Erbil City, Iraq

    Saddon T. Ahmad

Authors
  1. Ahmed I. Samad
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  2. Ali H. Ahmed
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  3. Saddon T. Ahmad
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Contributions

The study’s design and conception were contributed by all of the authors. Ali Hassan Ahmad, Ahmed Ismael Samad, and Saddon Taha Ahmad collected the data and carried out the analysis. Ahmed Ismael Samad wrote the first draft of the manuscript, and the other authors give comments on previous drafts. The final manuscript was read and approved by all authors.

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Correspondence to Ahmed I. Samad.

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Samad, A.I., Ahmed, A.H. & Ahmad, S.T. Radiological health assessment of infant milk in Erbil Governorate, Iraq. Environ Monit Assess 195, 419 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-023-11010-5

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