An Experimental determination of activity concentrations (238U, 232Th, 40K, and 137Cs) in Brazil nut and Turkish hazelnut sold in the United Kingdom

Year 2024, Volume: 14 Issue: 1, 187 - 196, 15.03.2024

Kıvanç Peker

https://doi.org/10.17714/gumusfenbil.1324399

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine activity concentrations of Naturally Occuring Radioactive Materials (NORM) products and artificial radioisotopes in foods, and Brazil nut and Turkish hazelnut were selected from food products to be examined. The activity concentrations of 238U, 232Th, 40K, and 137Cs radioisotopes in Brazil nut and Turkish hazelnut products purchased from 4 different brands operating in the UK were determined by a high purity germanium detector (HPGe) that performs gamma-ray counting. Ethically; all brands were encoded as A, B, C, and D. Activity concentrations of 238U and 232Th in Brazil nut samples were found to lie in the range of 33.9 ± 0.4 ↔ 35.5 ± 0.4 Bq/kg and 19.0 ± 0.3 ↔ 31.3 ± 0.4 Bq/kg, respectively, whereas the activity concentrations of 238U and 232Th in Turkish hazelnut samples were below minimum detectable activity (MDA) values. In all samples, the most dominant sources of radioactivity were 40K in range of 220.0 ± 3.4 ↔ 242.0 ± 3.4 Bq/kg, and very low activity concentrations of 137Cs were detected only in Turkish hazelnut samples purchased from D and A brands as 1.1 ± 0.2 and 1.8 ± 0.1 Bq/kg, respectively.

Keywords

Brazil nut, HPGe, NORM, Radioactivity, Turkish hazelnut

Birleşik Krallık’ta satışı gerçekleştirilen Brezilya fındığı ve Türk fındıklarındaki aktivite konsantrasyonlarının (238U, 232Th, 40K ve 137Cs) deneysel olarak belirlenmesi

Abstract

Bu çalışmanın amacı, gıdalarda bulunan Doğal Olarak Oluşan Radyoaktif Materyaller (NORM) ürünleri ve yapay radyoizotoplara ait aktivite konsantrasyonlarının belirlenmesidir ve incelenmek üzere gıda ürünlerinden Brezilya fındığı ile Türk fındığı seçilmiştir. Birleşik Krallık’ta faaliyet gösteren 4 farklı markadan satın alınan Brezilya fındığı ve Türk fındığı ürünlerindeki 238U, 232Th, 40K ve 137Cs radyoizotoplarının aktivite konsantrasyonları, gama-ışınlarının sayımını gerçekleştiren yüksek saflıktaki germanyum dedektörü (HPGe) ile belirlendi. Etik olarak, tüm markalar A, B, C ve D olarak kodlandı. Brezilya fındığı numunelerindeki 238U ve 232Th aktivite konsantrasyonları sırasıyla 33.9 ± 0.4 ↔ 35.5 ± 0.4 Bq/kg ve 19.0 ± 0.3 ↔ 31.3 ± 0.4 Bq/kg aralıklarında iken, Türk fındığı numunelerindeki 238U ve 232Th aktivite konsantrasyonları tespit edilebilen en düşük aktivitenin (MDA) altında kalmıştır. Tüm numuneler içinde, en baskın radyoaktivite kaynağı ise 220.0 ± 3.4 ↔ 242.0 ± 3.4 Bq/kg aktivite aralığındaki 40K olup, sadece D ve A markalarından satın alınan Türk fındığı numunelerinde sırasıyla 1.1 ± 0.2 ve 1.8 ± 0.1 Bq/kg aktivitelerine sahip 137Cs tespit edilmiştir.

Keywords

Brezilya fındığı, HPGe, NORM, Radyoaktivite, Türk fındığı

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