The hazardous radioactive elemental concentration and risk assessment in Cornu aspersum of the eastern Mediterranean...

The risk of hazardous radioactive materials through food consumption is a serious public concern under the issue of radiation protection. This study is significant as it assesses the potential health risks of ingesting naturally and artificially occurring radionuclides through Cornu aspersum, a commonly consumed species, highlighting an important pathway of environmental radiation exposure to humans. Natural (²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th, ⁴⁰K) and artificial (¹³⁷Cs) radionuclides are important due to their radiation risk and persistent presence in the environment. The distribution and concentration levels of these radionuclides in Cornu aspersum collected along the Eastern Mediterranean coast were analyzed using a high-resolution HPGe gamma-ray spectroscopy system. The amount of ⁴⁰K in all samples was higher than that of all radionuclides. The total annual effective dose from C. aspersum consumption ranged from 0.044 to 0.239 mSv y^-1, with an average of 0.144 mSv y^-1, which is lower than international safety limits. The estimated excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR) ranged from 1.713 × 10^-4 to 9.193 × 10^-4, with a mean value of 5.537 × 10^-4, indicating low but non-negligible radiological risk levels associated with radionuclide exposure from Cornu aspersum consumption or contact in the studied areas. Moreover, differences in ELCR were noted that may be localized due to differences in exposure sources and bioaccumulation patterns, with some sites showing slightly elevated levels of cancer risk. The study concludes that the consumption of Cornu aspersum poses no significant radiological health risk, although localized variations in cancer risk warrant continued environmental monitoring.