Radioactivity amounts, annual effective dose rate, and lifetime cancer risk estimation of some vegetable and fruit samples cultivated in Kahramanmaraş, Turkey

In this research, examples of the fruits and vegetables cultivated in Kahramanmaraş, 238U, 232Th, and 40K levels, were detected, and in the case of consumption of these vegetables and fruits, for several age categories (adults, children (10 years old), and infants), annually effective dose rates and lifetime cancer risks were calculated. In fruit samples, concentrations of 238U, 232Th, and 40K ranged from under detection limit (UDL) to 15.29 ± 1.14 Bq/kg, 0.30 ± 0.01 to 13.23 ± 1.60 Bq/kg, and 5.82 ± 0.21 to 179.82 ± 1.34 Bq/kg, respectively. The mean concentrations of 238U, 232Th, and 40K in fruit samples were 5.31 ± 0.44 Bq/kg, 2.72 ± 0.26 Bq/kg, and 56.84 ± 0.57 Bq/kg, respectively. In vegetable samples, concentrations of 238U, 232Th, and 40K ranged from 0.48 ± 0.04 to 11.77 ± 0.95 Bq/kg, 0.55 ± 0.04 to 4.57 ± 0.44 Bq/kg, and 9.32 ± 0.43 to 52.44 ± 0.52 Bq/kg, respectively. The mean concentrations of 238U, 232Th, and 40K in the vegetable samples were 6.58 ± 0.65 Bq/kg, 2.72 ± 0.27 Bq/kg, and 27.09 ± 0.27 Bq/kg, respectively. The mean annual effective dose rates for adults, children (10 years old), and infants in fruit samples were 0.184 ± 0.001 mSv/y, 0.288 ± 0.002 mSv/y, and 0.304 ± 0.003 mSv/y, respectively. The average lifetime cancer risks for adults, children (10 years old), and infants in fruit samples were 0.647 ± 0.006 × 10−4, 1.011 ± 0.010 × 10−4, and 1.067 ± 0.010 × 10−4, respectively. The mean annual effective dose rates for adults, children (10 years old), and infants in the vegetable samples were 0.118 ± 0.001 mSv/y, 0.128 ± 0.001 mSv/y, and 0.086 ± 0.001 mSv/y, respectively. The mean lifetime cancer risks for adults, children (10 years old), and infants in vegetable samples were 0.416 ± 0.004 × 10−4, 0.449 ± 0.004 × 10−4, and 0.304 ± 0.003 × 10−4, respectively.