MANJOLA SHYTI , ERJON SPAHIU , ERANDA GJEÇI , SILTANA ZENELI
KEYWORDS : Radionuclide, Activity Concentration, Cereal Crop, Annual Effective Dose.
ABSTRACT :
About fifteen samples of cereal crops commonly used in Albania were collected from the local markets of Tirana city for this study. Radionuclides are found everywhere in the environment, therefore some radionuclides are transferred to the cereal crops and further enter our bodies by different pathways. This study aimed to assess the total annual effective dose from these cereal crops. The HPGe detector was used for the measurements and the activity concentration for radionuclides of 226Ra, 232Th, 40K and 137Cs was calculated before assessing the total annual effective dose. Radionuclide of 40K has the highest value of the activity concentration for all samples and then they follow from 226Ra, 232Th and 137Cs. The activity concentration of the artificial radionuclide of 137Cs was detected only in four samples at a low level. The total annual effective dose, based on intake of 40K, 226Ra, 232Th and 137Cs in cereal crops, was found to be 350.68 μSv/year. The main contributors to the total dose come by radionuclides 40K and 226Ra, while two other radionuclides 232Th and 137Cs have a minor contribution. The total annual effective dose in this study falls within the global range defined by UNSCEAR reports and was lower than the recommended limit value of 1 mSv y -1 by WHO and ICRP for adults. Therefore, results indicated that consumption of cereal crops by the people of the study region is safe, with acceptable radiological risk and no harmful health effects are expected for living things.