Uptake of natural radionuclides from contaminated soil into vegetables and consequent dose assessment

Selected natural radionuclides from the uranium decay chain were determined in radish, savoy and rocket grown in uranium mill tailing contaminated growth substrates. The data obtained were used in calculation of dose assessment. Based on the results obtained for activity concentrations of four radionuclides (U-238, Th-230, Ra-226 and Pb-210) in vegetables, cultivated in contaminated soil, the committed effective doses, along with the maximum values for adults, were estimated. Statistical analyses of linear correlation among calculated annual effective ingestion dose and uranium mill tailings showed to be highly significant.