https://doi.org/10.1140/epjs/s11734-026-02400-0
Regular Article
Radiological risk assessment due to the consumption of some varieties of nuts
1
Department of Radiometry and Radiochemistry, Institute of Applied Nuclear Physics, University of Tirana, P. O. Box 85, Str. Th. Filipeu, Tirana, Albania
2
Department of Physics, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Tirana, Blv. Zogu I, Tirana, Albania
3
Department of Mathematics, Informatics and Physics, University of Korça, Korçe, Albania
a
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Received:
30
August
2025
Accepted:
18
May
2026
Published online:
29
May
2026
Abstract
This study presents an investigation of radiological risk assessment associated with the consumption of several varieties of nuts. This was carried out through the determination of radioactivity levels and the assessment of the annual effective dose in 20 nut samples. Five nut brands were included in this study, and for each brand, four samples were analyzed to improve the statistical reliability of measurements. The most consumed nut types in Albania are almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, pistachios, and walnuts. The gamma-ray spectrometry method, using a high-resolution HPGe detector, was employed for radionuclide detection. The analysis showed that the natural radionuclides 40K and 226Ra were detected in all samples, while 232Th was detected at low levels in seven samples. The artificial radionuclide 137Cs was detected only in two samples, also at low levels. The activity concentration of 40K ranged from 119.23 to 276.64 Bq kg⁻1, while that of 226Ra ranged from 3.28 to 10.96 Bq kg⁻1. For 232Th, the values ranged from < MDA to 2.01 Bq kg⁻1, whereas for 137Cs, the values were below 1 Bq kg⁻1. The average annual effective doses due to radionuclide intake from these nut brands were estimated to be 89 μSv y⁻1, 82 μSv y⁻1, 116 μSv y⁻1, and 33 μSv y⁻1 for the age groups 2–7 years, 7–12 years, 12–17 years, and adults > 17 years, respectively. The results obtained were compared with similar studies and international reference values. The annual effective dose for each age group was below the recommended limit of 1 mSv y⁻1 for public exposure established by the WHO (2021) and the ICRP (2007). Therefore, the radiological risk assessment indicates that the consumption of these nuts does not pose a significant radiological risk, and all brands analyzed can be considered safe for consumption.
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© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to EDP Sciences, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2026
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
