ASSESSMENT OF NATURAL RADIOACTIVITY OF SALT SAMPLES WITH REDUCED SODIUM CONTENT

Poles are the leaders in Europe in terms of the amount of salt consumed per day. Table salt is themost frequently used spice and is essential for the proper functioning of the body. However, itsexcessive consumption may have adverse effects on human health. The Word Health Organization(WHO) informs that the leading cause of premature deaths in the European region of WHO is thecardiovascular disease. This is why medicine is increasingly recommending the use of low-sodiumsalt, which contains a reduced content of sodium and an increased content of potassium becauseit is essential for the proper functioning of the brain, cells and for proper work of muscles. Thereis no information in the literature on the concentration of natural radioactive isotopes presentin sodium-reduced salts used as a substitute for table salt. Therefore the aim of this study wasestablishing the concentration of natural radioactive isotopes in salt samples with low sodiumcontent available in retail sale on the Polish market and widely used in Polish households. Inthese salt samples analysed was the concentration of natural radioactive isotopes like radium,thorium and potassium with use of Mazar type gamma radiation spectrometer connected witha scintillation probe NaI (Tl). Concentration of 226Ra and 232Th isotopes in the tested salt sampleswith reduced sodium content amounted to below the background level of determination, and the40K content was within the limits 3386–5794 Bq∙kg-1. Additionally on the basis of the establishedconcentration of natural radioactive isotopes, the annual loading effective dose was calculated forwomen and men classified to the group of adults from the point of view radiological protection.The effective dose limit of 1 mSv∙y-1 was not exceeded for any test subject consuming reducedsodium salts.. The obtained results were compared with reported data from other countriesavailable in the literature.