Proceedings of the 4 th Environmental Physics Conference, 10-14 March 2010, Hurghada, Egypt
THE ANNUAL DOSE FOR QENA GOVERNORATE POPULATION DUE TO CONSUME THE ANIMAL PRODUCTS
S. Harb, K. Salahel Din, A. Abbady and Nagwa Saad
Physics Dept., Faculty of Science, South Valley University, 83523, Qena, Egypt
Several kinds of cattle and poultry fodder samples collected from South Valley University and Qena governorate farm, Qena, Upper Egypt were estimated for their natural radioactivity concentrations due to Ra 226, Ra 228, Th 232 and K 40 radionuclides. Twenty nine samples were analyzed by using low level gamma spectrometric. Based on radionuclides concentrations in animal fodder and annual consumption rate, the human health risk from irradiation due to indirect ingestion can be assessed. The annual effective dose from these radionuclides, which may reach the local consumer through beef, milk, poultry and eggs consumption have been estimated as 2.7E+00, 1.4E+01, 1.0E 01 and 1.4E 01 Sv/y, respectively.
Keyword s: Radioactivity , Natural radionuclides, Gamma spectrometric, Animal and poultry feed , Annual effective dose
1. INTRODUCTION
Radiation from natural sources gives more than 80 % of the total exposure received by the average member of a population and a portion of this exposure comes from dietary intake [1]. The natural radioactivity elements are distributed everywhere in the environmental with different concentrations, their concentrations have been found to depend on the local geological condition and as such they vary from one place to another. It is necessary to monitor release of radioactivity into the environment in order to be able to provide an appropriate protection of humans [2]. Radionuclides in soil are taken up by plants, thereby becoming available for further redistribution within food chains these plants may be involved directly in human food or indirectly such as animal fodder [3]. Over the years much work on radioactive food contamination in the environment and its transfer or pathway mechanism to plants, animals and human population has been reported [4, 5]. Ingestion of natural radionuclides depends on the consumption rates of food and water and on the radionuclide concentrations. The supply of meat in Egypt comes from four major sources. These are cattle, poultry, goat meat and mutton. Cattle contribute the highest percentage of 44.54 % and poultry takes second place with 36.86 % while mutton contributes (sheep and goat) 3.8 % each [6]. The aim of this study is to calculate the doses received by population in Qena governorate owing to consume products from south valley university farm and