RADIOLOGICAL IMPACT OF DRINKS INTAKES OF NATURALLY OCCURRING RADIONUCLIDES ON ADULTS OF CENTRAL ZONE OF MALAYSIA

Fifty three samples of different types of imported and locally produced drinks consumed in central zone of Malaysia were analyzed using gamma-ray spectrometry system. The measurement was conducted for 12 hours using a Canberra p-type high purity germanium (HPGe) gamma spectrometer with 30% relative efficiency resolution of 1.8 keV at 1.33 MeV. The detector was connected to a computer with MCA card (Accuspec B) and Genie-2000 Analysis software of Canberra Industries, USA. The geometric means of daily intakes of U, Th and K were 0.05, 0.08 and 27.23 respectively. Also the values give annual committed effective doses of 0.8, 6.5 and 61.53 μSv yr for U, Th and K, respectively for population in central zone of Malaysia. The net radiological impact of these radionuclides is 68.83 μSv yr. This value gives cancer risk factor of 1.72 ×10. Also the value of net radiological impact gives loss of life expectancy of 0.43 days only. Whereas ICRP cancer risk factor for general public is 2.5 ×10 and total risk involve from the all natural radiation sources based on global average annual radiation dose of 2.4 mSv yr is 6.0 ×10 . The estimated cancer risk shows that probability of increase of cancer risk from daily Malaysian drinks is only a minor fraction of ICRP values. Therefore the drink samples investigated here does not pose any significant health hazard and is considered radiologically safe for human consumption.