Radioactivity Levels in Some Vegetables and Herbs

Abstract

Evaluation of the amount of radioactivity in plants is essential from theoutlook of health protection, hence assessment of radioactivity levels in manyvegetable and herb samples were estimated. The samples were collected from Iraqilocal markets, were measured. Many parameters such as radon concentration,radium content and uranium concentration in unit of ppm were determined.Average values of Rn level, Ra content and U concentration in pharmaceuticalherbs were 27.7 Bq.m-3, 0.39 Bq.Kg-1 and 0.48 ppm, respectively. While, the meanvalues of radon level, radium content and uranium concentration in vegetableswere 33.89 Bq.m-3, 0.40 Bq.kg-1 and 0.49 ppm, respectively. Ra and Uconcentrations are positively correlated in the studied herbs and vegetablessamples. All values of Ra content were under the allowed world limit, while 80% ofuranium concentration values were above the permissible world value