Monte Carlo simulations of radiological cancer risks associated with naturally occurring radionuclides in local and imported spices from Delta and Ogun States, Nigeria.

Abstract

Naturally occurring radionuclides in soil, water, and plants, including spices, pose potential health risks. Given the widespread use of spices in culinary practices, it is crucial to assess the potential health risks associated with their natural radionuclides content. This study determines the activity concentrations of natural radionuclides in locally processed and imported spices from markets in Delta and Ogun States, Nigeria, using gamma spectrometry. Monte Carlo simulations estimated the probabilistic distribution of cancer risk over a lifetime of exposure. The results revealed significant variability in the activity concentrations of ⁴⁰K, ²²⁶Ra, and ²³²Th among the spice samples. The mean committed effective doses due to ingestion were 10.56 µSv/y, 9.82 µSv/y, and 6.87 µSv/y for locally produced and imported spices, respectively. Both deterministic and probabilistic analyses show that the cancer risk values fall within the acceptable range of 10^-6 to 10^-4, indicating minimal risk from ingestion of natural radionuclides in spices.