Hossain Shahadat, Pervin Shikha, Lubna Laisee, Karmaker Shanjib, Yeasmin Selina, Khandaker Mayeen Uddin
Health Physics Division, Atomic Energy Centre, Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission, 4 Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue, Shahbag, Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh.
Department of Nuclear Engineering, University of Dhaka, Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh.
Heliyon. 2024 Sep 17;10(19):e38004. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e38004. eCollection 2024 Oct 15.
This study investigates the uptake of naturally occurring radionuclides (Ra, Th, and K) from soil by rice plants in extensively cultivated regions in Bangladesh. It also evaluates the potential radiation risks associated with rice consumption by the Bangladeshi populace. High purity germanium (HPGe) gamma-ray spectrometry was employed to measure the concentrations of radionuclides in both soil and rice samples. For K, our results agree with the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) published value; however, the transfer factors (TF) for the other two radionuclides differ considerably. Despite the fact that the IAEA based its publication of TFs for Ra and Th on clay soil, the majority of the soil profile in the present study was silty clay with a little alkalinity. Moreover, the data obtained may have been impacted by the growing seasons, cultivation methods, and soil fertility. Additionally, the annual effective dose due to the ingestion of radioactivity resulting from rice consumption was evaluated and the results agree with UNSCEAR (United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation), 2000. With a few exceptions, the excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR) values for Ra, Th, and K were below the globally average permissible level (1 × 10). In light of this, the current study indicates that consuming rice does not pose an immediate health risk to the general public. By studying TFs among various rice varieties and geographical areas, scientists can develop models to forecast the possible radiation exposure from rice consumption and pinpoint activities or areas that require additional attention.
本研究调查了孟加拉国广泛种植地区水稻植株从土壤中吸收天然存在的放射性核素（镭、钍和钾）的情况。它还评估了孟加拉国居民食用大米所带来的潜在辐射风险。采用高纯度锗（HPGe）γ射线能谱法测量土壤和水稻样品中放射性核素的浓度。对于钾，我们的结果与国际原子能机构（IAEA）公布的值一致；然而，其他两种放射性核素的转移因子（TF）差异很大。尽管国际原子能机构基于粘土土壤公布了镭和钍的转移因子，但本研究中大部分土壤剖面是粉质粘土且有一点碱性。此外，所获得的数据可能受到生长季节、种植方法和土壤肥力的影响。此外，评估了因食用大米摄入放射性物质所致的年有效剂量，结果与联合国原子辐射影响科学委员会（UNSCEAR）2000年的报告一致。除了少数例外情况，镭、钍和钾的终生超额癌症风险（ELCR）值低于全球平均允许水平（1×10）。有鉴于此，当前研究表明食用大米不会对普通公众造成直接健康风险。通过研究不同水稻品种和地理区域之间的转移因子，科学家可以建立模型来预测食用大米可能产生的辐射暴露，并确定需要额外关注的活动或区域。
