Department of Physics, Busitema University, Tororo, Uganda.
Department of Physics, Busitema University, Tororo, Uganda.
J Environ Radioact. 2021 Feb;227:106460. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2020.106460. Epub 2020 Nov 17.
The intention of the study was to establish the activity concentrations and the annual committed effective dose due to ingestion of medicinal plants and soils by pregnant women and their probable effects to infants. The samples of medicinal plants and soils were collected from Osukuru, Tororo District (Uganda). The naturally occurring radionuclides investigated were Ra, Th and K and their activity concentrations were determined using NaI gamma detector. In the medicinal plants, the average activity concentrations of Ra, Th and K were found to be 6.04 Bq/kg, 9.65 Bq/kg and 359.59 Bq/kg respectively. African Basil registered the highest activity concentration of Ra of 10.02 Bq/kg, spider plant had the highest activity concentration of Th of 18.60 Bq/kg whereas the pumpkin registered the highest activity concentrations of K of 437.92 Bq/kg. The average activity concentrations of Ra, Th and K in 'medicinal soils' were 68.87 Bq/kg, 78.20 Bq/kg and 477.44 Bq/kg respectively. The soils from the anthills registered the highest activity concentration of Ra and K while the one from bricks registered the highest activity concentration of Th. The annual committed effective dose due to the ingestion of medicinal plants varied from 0.096 to 0.297 mSv/y with an average of 0.194 mSv/y in infants, 0.016-0.040 mSv/y with an average of 0.029 mSv/y for individuals of age range 12-17 years and 0.007-0.018 mSv/y with an average of 0.013 mSv/y for individuals older than 17 years. Whereas the annual committed effective dose due to the ingestion of 'medicinal soils' varied from 1.28 to 1.65 mSv/y with an average of 1.46 mSv/y in infants, 0.23-0.30 mSv/y with an average of 0.26 mSv/y (12-17 years) and 0.07-0.09 mSv/y with an average of 0.08 mSv/y for individuals older than 17 years. In medicinal plants, the annual committed effective dose for the all age groups examined were below 0.3 mSv/y (maximum world permissible as reported UNSCEAR, 2000) while that due to the ingestion of 'medicinal soils' had values higher 0.3 mSv/y in infants. The results of this study show that there is inherent danger to the infants in consuming soils during pregnancy and this should be discouraged.
本研究旨在确定孕妇摄入药用植物和土壤中的放射性核素活度浓度和年摄入量有效剂量，并评估其对婴儿的可能影响。研究采集了来自乌干达托罗罗地区奥苏库鲁的药用植物和土壤样本。使用 NaI 伽马探测器测定了天然放射性核素镭（Ra）、钍（Th）和钾（K）的活度浓度。在药用植物中，Ra、Th 和 K 的平均活度浓度分别为 6.04 Bq/kg、9.65 Bq/kg 和 359.59 Bq/kg。非洲罗勒的 Ra 活度浓度最高，为 10.02 Bq/kg；蜘蛛草的 Th 活度浓度最高，为 18.60 Bq/kg；而南瓜的 K 活度浓度最高，为 437.92 Bq/kg。药用土壤中 Ra、Th 和 K 的平均活度浓度分别为 68.87 Bq/kg、78.20 Bq/kg 和 477.44 Bq/kg。从蚁丘中采集的土壤 Ra 和 K 的活度浓度最高，而从砖中采集的土壤 Th 的活度浓度最高。婴儿摄入药用植物的年摄入量有效剂量为 0.096-0.297 mSv/y，平均值为 0.194 mSv/y；12-17 岁个体的摄入量有效剂量为 0.016-0.040 mSv/y，平均值为 0.029 mSv/y；17 岁以上个体的摄入量有效剂量为 0.007-0.018 mSv/y，平均值为 0.013 mSv/y。而婴儿摄入药用土壤的年摄入量有效剂量为 1.28-1.65 mSv/y，平均值为 1.46 mSv/y；12-17 岁个体的摄入量有效剂量为 0.23-0.30 mSv/y，平均值为 0.26 mSv/y；17 岁以上个体的摄入量有效剂量为 0.07-0.09 mSv/y，平均值为 0.08 mSv/y。在所有研究年龄组中，药用植物的年摄入量有效剂量均低于 0.3 mSv/y（UNSCEAR，2000 年报告的最大允许值），而摄入药用土壤的年摄入量有效剂量在婴儿中高于 0.3 mSv/y。本研究结果表明，孕妇在怀孕期间摄入土壤对婴儿存在潜在危险，应予以劝阻。
