Assessment of Radiation Health Risk Indices from the Consumption of Commercially Available Thai Seasoning Products
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Abstract
This study investigated the concentrations of natural sources radiation (226Ra, 232Th, and 40K) and a human sources radiation (137Cs) in Thai seasoning products, including spices and condiments. A total of 56 samples across 9 different types of products were analyzed using gamma-ray spectrometry with a High Purity Germanium detector (HPGe). The objective was to evaluate the effective dose (E), annual effective dose (AED), total dose (D), and excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR) associated with the consumption of these products. The results showed that the average effective dose (E) was 4.51 μSv/y. The average annual effective doses (AED) for 226Ra, 232Th, 40K, and 137Cs were 1.02, 3.07, 0.57 and 0.02 μSv/y, respectively, resulting in a total dose (D) of 4.51 μSv/y. This value is significantly lower than the global average annual effective dose from ingestion of natural radionuclides in food, which is approximately 290 μSv/y. The mean Excess Lifetime Cancer Risk (ELCR) was found to be 0.16x10-4, which is below the internationally accepted risk threshold range of 1x10-6 - 1x10-4. In conclusion, the study indicates that all analyzed Thai seasoning products do not pose a radiation health risk assessment to consumers.
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