ASSESSMENT OF RADIATION RISK LEVELS ASSOCIATED WITH NATURAL (226RA, 232TH, AND 40K) AND ARTIFICIAL (137CS) RADIONUCLIDES PRESENT IN POWDERED MILK SOLD AND CONSUMED IN SENEGAL

The study conducted in Senegal sought to address the dearth of data on radionuclide concentrations in milk, particularly considering the upward trajectory of domestic consumption. Employing gamma-spectrometry, researchers investigated five milk brands, calculating the resulting ingestion dose. The concentrations of 232Th, 226Ra, 137Cs, and 40K exhibited variability across brands, ranging from 0.40 ± 0.30 for G1 to 7.58 ± 0.37 for V1, 0.50 ± 0.17 for V1 to 1.15 ± 0.11 for D1, 0.06 ± 0.05 for V1 to 0.43 ± 0.06 for D1, L1, G1, and H1, and 16.31 ± 4.02 for L1 to 369.26 ± 15.84 Bq/kg for G1. Notably, the total average Annual Effective Dose for all age groups remained consistent across all brands. Importantly, the concentrations observed were found to be significantly below the guidance level recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). As a result, the study concludes that all five milk brands investigated are considered safe for consumption, providing reassurance to the public regarding the radionuclide content in the milk supply chain in Senegal.