Effective doses received by the gastrointestinal tract compartments of adults due to food intake in Egypt

Abstract

Abstract 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K levels in various foods frequently consumed by Egyptians were determined using a gamma-ray spectrometer based on the germanium detector (HPGe). Activity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K were in the range of < 0.10 to 0.79 ± 0.07, < 0.09 to 0.42 ± 0.04, and < 1.96 to 89.73 ± 2.96 Bq/kg, respectively. The gastrointestinal tract (GIT) model was employed to estimate the effective doses received by the different parts of the adult’s gastrointestinal tract, i.e., stomach (ST), small intestine (SI), upper large intestine (ULI), and lower large intestine (LLI), due to the ingestion of the analyzed foods. This estimation was based on mathematical calculations of the energy absorbed by organs due to transformations of ingested radionuclides. The effective doses (μSv/y) received by each compartment were 8.86 (ST), 8.76 (SI), 66.90 (ULI), and 176.76 (LLI). The results do not exceed the safe thresholds set by global organizations UNSCEAR and WHO, 290 and 250–400 μSv/y, respectively. Therefore, radionuclide intakes due to investigated food consumption do not pose any significant radiological impact.