Radionuclide Assessment in Imported Powdered Infant Milk Consumed in Algeria and Radiation Hazard Indices
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adionuclide Assessment in Imported Powdered Infant Milk Consumed in Algeria and Radiation Hazard Indices K. Benaissaa,*, L. N. Seladjia, A. Kaduma, and B. Dahmania a
Spectrochemistry and Structural Pharmacology Research Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, College of Sciences, University of Tlemcen, Tlemcen, 13000 Algeria *e-mail: [email protected] Received September 30, 2019; revised September 30, 2019; accepted November 8, 2019
Abstract—The radioactivity concentration in powdered infant milk consumed in Algeria, mainly imported from different countries, some of which had suffered from the propagation of the radiation effect after explosions of nuclear reactors, was evaluated. Milk samples were analyzed using a conducted NaI(Tl) 2×2 well detector (Canberra) and a γ-ray spectrometer using GENIE 2000 software. Twelve samples from different producers and countries were examined, and the average values of their activity concentrations were 1.19 ± 0.81, 1.45 ± 0.96, 18.07 ± 3.42, and 0.18 ± 0.06 Bq kg–1 for 226Ra 232Th, 40K, and 137Cs, respectively. The average total effective total dose due to the annual ingestion of the above four radionuclides from the ingestion of imported milk powder for infants of age under one year was estimated at 153.16 ± 7.66, 48.05 ± 2.40, 15.92 ± 0.80, and 0.030 ± 0.0015 μSv year–1. For one-year-old infants, the values were 38.69 ± 1.93, 20.27 ± 1.01, 19.29 ± 0.96, and 0.049 ± 0.0024 μSv year–1. These values are significantly lower than the international authorization value. Thus, these imported brands of powdered milk can be consumed safely and without any restrictions. Keywords: radionuclides, activity concentration, gamma rays, powdered milk, radiological risk DOI: 10.1134/S106636222005015X
Breastfeeding is the main source of nutrition for infants according to the available data [22, 23]; less than 40% of infants worldwide under six months are exclusively breastfed. The diets of infants who are not exclusively breastfed are supplemented or completely comprised of powdered milk, which is a special synthetic supplement designed to provide the necessary nutrients for the normal development of infants [24]. We have determined in this paper the activity levels of natural and artificial radionuclides for samples of powdered infant milk consumed in Algeria, using the technique of γ-ray spectrometry. The total average effective dose and the radiological risk on the infant health due to the milk consumption are also estimated. The detector efficiency was calculated by a simplified method using the exact value for each energy line and not for an energy interval, thus avoiding the use of radioactive sources for the calibration of the detector in each analysis and decreasing therefore the exposure to radiation.
INTRODUCTION The Earth’s radiation is derived from two sources: (1) natural radiation (NORM) coming mainly from 226Ra and 232Th decay series and from 40K and (2) radiation of artificial origin (134Cs, 137Cs, 131I, 89Sr, 90Sr, etc.). These elements in the atmosphere contaminate plants, soil, wat
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