Radionuclide concentrations in samples of medicinal herbs and effective dose from ingestion of 137Cs and natural radionuclides in herbal tea products from Serbian market

The objective of this study is to evaluate natural and artificial radioactivity levels in 18 different samples of medicinal herbs from Serbian market. The activity concentrations of 238U, 232Th, 40K, and 137Cs were measured using gamma spectroscopy system with a high-purity germanium detector. The activity concentrations of 238U, 232Th, 40K, and 137Cs were found to be in a range of 0.6-8.2, 1.7-15.1, 126-1243.7, and 0.3-8.8Bq/kg, respectively. The annual whole body doses from ingestion of 137Cs and natural radionuclides for an adult person who consumed herbal tea from these medicinal herbs were found to be 2.5-469.9nSv for 137Cs, 0.7-9.7nSv for 238U, 0.3-2.8nSv for 232Th, and 1026.0-10,132.0nSv for 40K. These doses are not hazardous to public health. The obtained results were compared with correspondent studies conducted worldwide.