Evaluation of Radiation Hazards in Some Flour Samples Consumed by the Iraqi Population Using Gamma Spectrometry
Shaymaa Awad Kadhim *
Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Kufa, Iraq.
Shatha F. Alhous
Department of Physics, Faculty of Education for Girls, University of Kufa, Najaf, Iraq.
Ali Jaafar Azeez
Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Kufa, Iraq.
Adnan Hassoon Oraibi
Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Kufa, Iraq.
Ahmed Shaker Hussein
Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Kufa, Iraq.
Hayder H. Hussein
Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Kufa, Iraq.
Azhar S. Alaboodi
Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Kufa, Iraq.
Jawad Kazem Wawi Mashi
Department of Basic Science, College of Dentistry, University of Babylon, Iraq.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Flour represents one of the most widely consumed food commodities in Iraq, serving as a staple dietary component across all age groups. Given its importance in daily nutrition, the assessment of naturally occurring radionuclides in flour is essential for evaluating potential radiological health risks. In this study, the specific activities of the long-lived gamma-emitting radionuclides uranium-238 (^238U), thorium-232 (^232Th), and potassium-40 (^40K) were determined in 15 commercially available flour types from the Iraqi market. Radiometric measurements were performed using a NaI (Tl) gamma-ray spectrometry system under controlled laboratory conditions. The activity concentrations of ^238U ranged from 2.60 ± 0.30 to 13.73 ± 1.89 Bq·kg⁻¹, with an average value of 8.75 Bq·kg⁻¹. For ^232Th, the values varied between 9.96 ± 0.14 and 67.79 ± 0.44 Bq·kg⁻¹, yielding a mean of 21.88 Bq·kg⁻¹. In the case of ^40K, a markedly higher variation was observed, with values extending from 283.70 ± 3.41 to 2680.74 ± 23.60 Bq·kg⁻¹ and a mean of 133.09 Bq·kg⁻¹.
To evaluate the radiological implications, several exposure indices were calculated, including the internal hazard index, the outdoor and indoor annual effective dose rates, and the annual committed effective dose. The estimated values indicated an outdoor annual effective dose of 0.302 ± 0.014 mSv·y⁻¹ and an average committed effective dose of 0.2205 ± 0.030 mSv·y⁻¹ for flour consumption. Furthermore, the lifetime cancer risk assessment demonstrated that the radiological impact associated with flour consumption in Iraq remains within internationally accepted safety limits.
Overall, the results confirm that the levels of natural radioactivity in the analysed flour samples are relatively low and do not pose a significant radiological hazard to consumers. These findings provide a baseline reference for food safety monitoring in Iraq and highlight the importance of continued surveillance of radionuclide concentrations in essential dietary products to ensure long-term public health protection.
Keywords: Hazard indices, gamma spectrometry, flour, radiation hazards