The Malaysian Journal of Analytical Sciences Vol 16 No 2 (2012): 187 –
193
RADIOLOGICAL IMPACT
OF DRINKS INTAKES OF NATURALLY OCCURRING RADIONUCLIDES ON ADULTS OF CENTRAL
ZONE OF MALAYSIA
(Impak Radiologi
Radionuklid Tabii dalam Air Minuman ke atas Orang
Dewasa di Kawasan Tengah Semenanjung Malaysia)
A.A. Tawalbeh1*, S.B. Samat1, M.S. Yasir1,
M.Omar2
1School of Applied Physics,
Faculty of Science and
Technology,
Universiti
Kebangsaan Malaysia 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia.
2Malaysian Nuclear
Agency (Nuclear Malaysia),
43000 Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia.
*Corresponding author: flower77alaa@yahoo.com
Abstract
Fifty three samples of different types of imported and locally produced
drinks consumed in central zone of Malaysia were analyzed using gamma-ray
spectrometry system. The
measurement was conducted for 12 hours using a Canberra p-type high purity
germanium (HPGe) gamma spectrometer with 30% relative
efficiency resolution of 1.8 keV at 1.33 MeV. The detector was connected to a
computer with MCA card (Accuspec B) and Genie-2000 Analysis software of Canberra
Industries, USA. The geometric means of daily intakes of 238U,
232Th and 40K were 0.05, 0.08 and 27.23 respectively. Also the values give annual committed
effective doses of 0.8, 6.5 and 61.53 µSv yr-1 for 238U, 232Th and 40K, respectively for population
in central zone of Malaysia. The net radiological impact of these radionuclides
is 68.83
µSv yr-1.
This value gives cancer risk factor of 1.72 ×10-7.
Also the value of net
radiological impact gives loss of life expectancy of 0.43 days only.
Whereas ICRP cancer risk factor for general public is 2.5 ×10-3 and total risk involve from
the all natural radiation sources based on global average annual radiation dose
of 2.4 mSv yr-1 is 6.0 ×10-3 . The
estimated cancer risk shows that probability of increase of cancer risk from
daily Malaysian drinks is only a minor fraction of ICRP values. Therefore the
drink samples investigated here does not pose any significant health hazard and
is considered radiologically safe for human consumption.
Keywords: 238U, 232Th and 40K, naturally occurring
radionuclides (NORM), drinks, dietary intake, radiation dose, cancer risk
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