Radionuclide concentrations and radiation dose in some Nigerian edible mushrooms

Human exposure to naturally occurring radionuclides through food consumption contributes to the radiation dose. Radionuclides in the soil are transferred to foodstuffs through plant nutrient uptake. This study measured the activity concentrations of 40K, 228Ra, and 226Ra in 37 mushroom samples from 15 species commonly consumed. Samples were analyzed using gamma-ray spectrometry employing a NaI(Tl) detector. The activity concentration (fresh mass) ranged from 10 to 252 Bq kg-1 for 40K, 0.6 to 6.0 Bq kg-1 for 228Ra, and 1.2 to 8.2 Bq kg-1 for 226Ra. The committed effective dose due to 1 y consumption of the mushrooms ranged from 1.2 to 1162 μSv y-1 across age groups 1, 5, 10, and 15 y and adults.