title: Determination of natural radioactivity in rock salt and radiation doses due to its ingestion.
abstract: The Khewera Mines located in Pakistan contain the world's second largest reserves of rock salt. Rock salt is used in Pakistan in food recipes. It was decided to investigate the concentrations of naturally occurring radionuclides in rock salt from the Khewera Mines. Samples of rock salt were collected from 10 different locations and analysed by gamma spectrometry. The mean activity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K were 790 +/- 262, 640 +/- 162 and 23 000 +/- 6000 mBq kg(-1), respectively. The mean annual effective dose due to the intake of natural radionuclides from rock salt for adults was estimated to be 0.0638 +/- 0.015 mSv, which is lower than the average annual effective dose of 0.29 mSv received per caput worldwide due to the ingestion of natural radionuclides, as reported by the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation in 2000.
authors.affiliation: Directorate General of Local Government and Community Development Punjab, Sanda Road, Lahore, Pakistan. snatahir@cyber.net.pk
authors.forename: S N A
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Tahir
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Alaamer
mesh_terms: D004435:Eating; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D006801:Humans; D010154:Pakistan; D011197:Potassium Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011886:Radon / Q000032:analysis; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000737:chemistry*; D013051:Spectrometry, Gamma; D013910:Thorium / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D011197:Potassium Radioisotopes; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D013910:Thorium; D011886:Radon