https://doi.org/10.1140/epjp/s13360-025-06509-4
Regular Article
Evaluation of natural radioactivity in powdered milk in the markets of Nineveh Governorate, Iraq
1
Department of Physics, College of Science, University of Mosul, Mosul, Iraq
2
Chemical, Biological and Radiological Safety and Security Division, University of Mosul, Mosul, Iraq
a
taha.yaseen93@uomosul.edu.iq
Received:
9
April
2025
Accepted:
31
May
2025
Published online:
20
June
2025
Milk and its derivatives are regarded as primary dietary sources essential for human health. To ensure public health and safety, it is vital to monitor potentially harmful substances present in powdered milk. Therefore, the study aimed to evaluate the radiological risks associated with the consumption of milk from common brands in Nineveh Governorate, Iraq. The activity concentrations of the radionuclides (226Ra, 232Th, and 40K) were measured in fifteen types of powdered milk using gamma spectrometer with a NaI(Tl) detector. The results indicated that the average activity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K were 3.84 ± 0.58 Bq kg−1, 0.96 ± 0.44 Bq kg−1, and 256.99 ± 4.98 Bq kg−1, respectively. The average annual effective doses were found to be within the recommended limit of 1000 µSv y−1 for public exposure, as advised by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP). The radiological hazard parameters were determined through the analysis of the activity concentrations. The cancer risk associated with all samples was found to be below the permissible global average of 2.5 × 10⁻3. This study indicates that all investigated brands do not pose any radiological risk to public health and are safe for consumption.
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© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Società Italiana di Fisica and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2025
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.
