Radiation dangers in Iranian ceramic samples in local markets

This research aims to determine the exact levels of activity for Uranium-238, Thorium-232, and Potassium-40 in Iranian pottery samples acquired from the marketplaces of Al-Najaf governorate. The study also seeks to evaluate possible radiological dangers, such as absorbed dose rate, yearly effective dose (indoors), and the related cancer risk from these samples. The current work used NaI(Tl) gamma-ray spectroscopy with a “3× 3” dimension. The mean specific activity levels of Uranium-238, Thorium-232, and Potassium-40 were 30.44±5.22 Bq/kg, 6.35±1.11 Bq/kg, and 278.42±51.83 Bq/kg, respectively. The absorbed radiation rate, yearly effective dose (indoor), and cancer risk×10-3 were measured to be 29.51±4.86 nGy/h, 0.14±0.02 mSv/y, and 0.50±0.08, respectively. The activity levels of Uranium-238, Thorium-232, and Potassium-40 are generally lower than the global average, as reported by UNSCEAR 2008. However, there are a few samples where Uranium-238 activity exceeds the global average. All samples have radiological dangers below acceptable levels, as stated in the radiation protection publications UNSCEAR2000 and ICRP1994. Hence, the research findings are within the internationally accepted permitted limits, ensuring safety.