https://doi.org/10.1140/epjp/s13360-025-06627-z
Regular Article
Radiological risk and elemental analysis of slimming seeds from Baghdad markets, Iraq
1 College of Science, Department of Physics, Mustansiriyah University, Baghdad, Iraq
2 Department of Physics, College of Education for Pure Science (Ibn Al-Haitham), University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq
3 Department of Physics, Faculty of Women for Arts, Science and Education, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
a
itabfadhil@uomustansiriyah.edu.iq
Received:
13
February
2025
Accepted:
6
July
2025
Published online: 11 August 2025
This study explores the radiological risks and elemental composition of slimming seeds sold in Baghdad markets, Iraq. Utilizing X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy and gamma spectrometry, the concentrations of heavy metals (Cr, Cu, Zn, Mn, Fe, Ag, Sn, and Ni) and naturally occurring radionuclides including U-238, Th-232, and K-40 were detected. Health risk assessments revealed that chromium concentrations in some samples of S1 (see Table 1 for the meaning of the seed symbols S1–S9) exceed the safety threshold of Cr (7.64 mg/kg), thus becoming a potential carcinogenic risk. The highest iron concentrations were measured (in mg/kg) as 198 for S6 and 199 for S8 seeds contaminants. Radiological indices, such as the outdoor absorbed dose rate Dout (38.69 nGy/h), outdoor annual effective dose (47.44 μSv/y), and excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCRin of 1254.8 Bq/kg for indoor exposure), highlighted significant risks in specific seeds especially sample (S9). These findings emphasize the necessity for rigorous regulatory measures and consistent monitoring to mitigate health hazards associated with herbal products. This research provides crucial insights into contamination risks, underscoring the importance of ensuring public health and environmental sustainability.
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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.
