Uranium Concentration in Some Medical Herbs

Laith Ahmed Najam; Nada F. Tawfiq; Enas M. Younis; Ibtisam M. Abdual Aziz

doi:10.24996/ijs.2020.61.3.8

Authors

Laith Ahmed Najam Physics Department, College of Science, Mosul University, Mosul, IRAQ
Nada F. Tawfiq Physics Department, College of Science, Al-Nahrain University, Baghdad, IRAQ
Enas M. Younis Physics Department, College of Science, Mosul University, Mosul, IRAQ
Ibtisam M. Abdual Aziz Physics Department, College of Science, Al-Nahrain University, Baghdad, IRAQ

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24996/ijs.2020.61.3.8

Keywords:

Medical Herbs, Uranium concentration, fission tracks technique, CR-39 track detector, Annual committed effective dose

Abstract

Uranium concentration and the annual committed effective dose in some selected medicinal plants commonly used in Iraq have been determined using fission tracks technique etch in twelve medical plants samples using CR-39 track detector. The results show that the uranium concentration ranged from 0.044Â±0.021 ppm in Thyme sample to 0.2Â±0.03 ppm in Black Pepper and Cardamom samples with an average value of 0.14 Â±0.0 4ppm. The average annual effective dose due to ingestion of uranium radionuclide was 13.77x10 -5 mSv/y, which is below the world average annual committed effective dose of 0.3 mSv/y for ingestion of natural radionuclides.