Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Radiometric analysis of potassium, radium and uranium levels in Brazil nuts

  • Published:
Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The paper describes an alternative approach for the determination of uranium, radium-226 and potassium levels in Brazil nuts. Potassium analysis was performed by a NaI detector using 1-gram of nut’s ashes, radium analysis was carried out by radon emanation measurements after EDTA-mediated ash dissolution, and uranium levels were determined by alpha spectroscopy after acidic dissolution and liquid extraction of the element. A total of eight different brazil nut samples obtained from local markets has been investigated and their potassium (150–290 Bq/kg), radium-226 (40–70 Bq/kg) and uranium (< 9 Bq/kg) levels have been compared to literature values, indicating the applicability of the proposed methods.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Paiva AKS, Pereira WS, Lopes JM, Silva LB, Carmo AS, Tarre RM, Charles-Pierre M, Thalhofer JL, Silva (2022) Intake of natural radionuclides present in organic and conventional foods: radiological aspects. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 331:903–911

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Armelin MJA, Maiharaa VA, Cozzolinob SMF, Silvaa PSC, Saiki M (2016) Activity levels of gamma-emitters in Brazil nuts. Braz J Radiat Res Appl Sci 4:1–9

    Google Scholar 

  3. Garcez RWD, Lopes MJ, Filgueiras RA, Da Silva AX (2019) Study of K-40, Ra-226, Ra-228 and Ra-224 activity concentrations in some seasoning and nuts obtained in Rio de Janeiro city, Brazil. Food Sci Technol 39:120–126

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Rosa MML, Taddei MHT, Cheberle LTV, Ferreira MT, Santos SMC, Avegliano RP, Bergamini G, Maihara VA (2015) Determination of 234U, 235U, 238U, 228Th, 230Th, 232Th, 226Ra, 228Ra, and 210Pb in foods from brazilian total Diet. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 306:695–700

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Pietrzak-Flis Z, Suplinska MM, Rosiak L (1997) The dietary intake of 238U, 234U, 230Th, 232Th, 228Th and 226Ra from food and drinking water by inhabitants of the Walbrzych region. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 222:189–193

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Kiliari T, Pashalidis I (2010) Alpha spectroscopic analysis of actinides (Th, U and Pu) after separation from aqueous solutions by cation-exchange and liquid extraction. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 284:547–551

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Ieggli CV, Bohrer D, do Nascimento PC, de Carvalho LM, Garcia SC (2010) Determination of sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, zinc, and iron in emulsified egg samples by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. Talanta 80(3):1282–1286

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Forte M, Rusconi R, Margini C, Abbate G, Maltese S, Badalamenti P, Bellinzona S (2001) Determination of uranium isotopes in food and environmental samples by different techniques: a comparison. Radiat Prot Dosimetry 97(4):325–328

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Sanchez M, Landsberger S, Braisted J (2006) Evaluation of 40K in food by determining total potassium using neutron activation analysis. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 269:487–490

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Zikovsky L (2006) Determination of uranium in food in Quebec by neutron activation analysis. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 267:695–697

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Liatsou I, Pashalidis I (2015) Determination of radium by radon emanation after EDTA-mediated sample dissolution. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 306:445–449

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Sarrou I, Pashalidis I (2017) Radon Exhalation from Granite Countertops and expected indoor Radon levels. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 311:913–916

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Liatsou I, Pashalidis I (2016) Radium concentration in uranium-bearing rocks and minerals by radon emanation after acidic sample dissolution. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 309:1327–1332

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Currie LA (1968) Limits for qualitative detection and quantitative determination. Application to radiochemistry. Anal Chem 40:586–593

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Konstantinou E, Pashalidis I (2010) Uranium determination in Water samples by Liquid Scintillation counting after Cloud Point extraction. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 286:461–465

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Andreou G, Efstathiou M, Pashalidis I (2012) A simplified determination of uranium in phosphate rock and phosphogypsum by alpha-spectroscopy after its separation by liquid-extraction. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 291:865–867

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Kiliari T, Pashalidis I (2010) Simplified alpha-spectroscopic analysis of uranium in natural waters after its separation by cation-exchange. Radiat Meas 45:966–968

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Pashalidis I, Tsertos H (2004) Radiometric determination of uranium in natural waters after enrichment and separation by cation-exchange and extraction techniques. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 260:439–442

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Kluczkovski A, Martins M, Lobo E, de Junior M, Campelo JG, Oliveira PH, Martins T DGTV (2020) Trace elements and radionuclides in Brazil nuts from the brazilian Amazon. J Agric Res 8:795–805

    Google Scholar 

  20. Mazokopakis EE, Liontiris MI (2018) Commentary: health concerns of Brazil Nut Consumption. J Altern Complement Med 24:3–6

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Tilletta A, Benningerb L, Dermignya CJ, Iliadisa C (2018) Measurements of thorium and uranium daughters in radioenvironmental samples using γγ-coincidence spectrometry. Appl Radiat Isot 141:24–32

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Martins M, Pachero AM, Lucas ACS, Andrello AC, Appoloni CR, Xavier JJM (2012) Brazil nuts: determination of natural elements and aflatoxin. Acta Amazon 42:157–162

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, University of Cyprus, P.O. Box 20537, 1678, Nicosia, Cyprus

    Ioannis Ioannidis, Polyxeni Paschalidou, Iacovos Sarrou & Ioannis Pashalidis

Authors
  1. Ioannis Ioannidis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Polyxeni Paschalidou
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Iacovos Sarrou
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Ioannis Pashalidis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ioannis Ioannidis.

Additional information

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Ioannidis, I., Paschalidou, P., Sarrou, I. et al. Radiometric analysis of potassium, radium and uranium levels in Brazil nuts. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 332, 1405–1408 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-022-08699-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-022-08699-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation