Vol.:(0123456789) 1 3 Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry (2020) 324:977–981 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-020-07170-0 Assessment of natural and artifcial radioactivity in infants’ powdered milk and their associated radiological health risks Khaled Salahel Din 1 Received: 16 September 2019 / Published online: 29 April 2020 © Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest, Hungary 2020 Abstract A high-resolution gamma-ray spectrometer was applied to measure the activity concentration of natural and artifcial radio- nuclides 226 Ra, 232 Th, 40 K, and 137 Cs in 14 brands of infants powdered milk consumed in Egypt. The average activity con- centrations were 0.91 ± 0.20, 0.60 ± 0.11, 477 ± 25 and 0.42 ± 0.11 Bq kg −1 for 226 Ra, 232 Th, 40 K, and 137 Cs, respectively. The total annual efective dose for diferent infant’s age groups is estimated and also the total risk has been assessed. The results indicate that the consumption of the studied powdered milk would not pose any signifcant radiological impact to the infants. Keywords Gamma spectrometer · Powdered milk · Annual efective dose · Radiological risk Introduction The earth and the atmosphere are the most important natu- ral sources of radioactivity in our environment. They are responsible for the presence of diferent amounts of natural radionuclides, such as uranium, thorium, their respective decay products, and 40 K [1]. In addition to natural radio- nuclides, many artifcial radionuclides are released into the environment as a result of human activities. One of the most important artifcial radionuclides is caesium-137 ( 137 Cs). For example, the Chernobyl disaster in 1986 led to the release of about 90 PBq of 137 Cs into the environment [2], and approxi- mately 3–27 PBq of 137 Cs were released into the marine environment as a result of the Fukushima disaster in 2011 [3]. Radionuclides, both natural and artifcial can enter the human body either through dust inhalation or the ingestion of food and water, causing an internal dose to the human body. Studies have shown that about one-eighth of the total efective dose from natural sources is a result of food con- sumption [4]. This dose depends on the concentration of radionuclides in the food and the quantity of food intake. Therefore, monitoring the radioactivity levels in foodstufs is a vital parameter for ensuring public health [1]. For this reason, many international organizations such as the Inter- national Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), International Com- mission on Radiological Protection (ICRP), United Nations Scientifc Committee on the Efect of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Health Organization (WHO) have been com- mitted to establishing guidelines for radioactivity levels in foods. One of the most important foodstufs to be verifed for its levels of radioactivity is milk. It is an essential compo- nent of human nutrition, especially for infants and children. Besides, milk is a critical indicator of contamination within the food chain as it can provide a strong vector of radionu- clides and heavy metals from the environment to humans [5]. Therefore, the assessment of radioactivity levels in milk is a crucial element within this process. Worldwide studies have been conducted on foodstufs for radiological evaluation to prevent unnecessary exposure to radiation. In Egypt, many studies in the literature [6–12] pre- sents data on the radioactivity levels in Egyptian food, but information on the radioactivity in powdered milk is scarce. Powdered milk is the main food source for a large number of infants in Egypt, and most of the powdered milk consumed is from abroad (in particular, from Europe). Therefore, it is crucial to verify the radioactivity levels and assess the resulting dose from their intake. The present study aims to evaluate the activity concentration of radionuclides (includ- ing 226 Ra, 232 Th, 40 K, and 137 Cs) in the infants powdered milk consumed in Egypt, to then estimate the annual dose. * Khaled Salahel Din ksh272@yahoo.com 1 Physics Department, Faculty of Science, South Valley University, Qena 83523, Egypt