Radiological impact on public health from radioactive content in wheat flour available in Pakistani Markets

Wheat flour is a dietary staple of Pakistani population. This study is mainly focused on the measurement of radioactivity concentration due to naturally occurring radioactive nuclides, uranium-238, thorium-232, potassium-40, and the corresponding hazardous radiological parameters, radium equivalent dose (Raeq), annual effective dose, internal hazard index (Hint), and ingestion effective activity (Io;x) in 12 local brands of wheat flour retailed throughout Pakistan. The radiometric assessment was performed by using a high-purity germanium detector. The specific activities (means ± standard deviations) of uranium-238, thorium-232, and potassium-40 were found to be 5.7 ± 0.41, 1.9 ± 0.02, and 132.4 ± 0.82 Bq/kg, respectively. The mean values of the corresponding radiometric variables, Raeq, Hint, and Io,x (sum), were also found to be 18.651 Bq/kg, 0.313 mSv/year, and 0.213 mSv/year, respectively. The total mean annual effective dose due to the presence of the aforementioned radionuclides in the collected samples was found to be 213.1 μSv/year, which is less than 1.00 mSv/year that is recommended by the World Health Organization and International Atomic Energy Agency. Thus, the natural radioactivity mass concentrations and the corresponding radiological variables were found to be below the recommended specific values and have no health risks for consumers.