Radionuclide and heavy metal con tent in the table olive (olea europaea L.) from the mediterranean region of Turkey

This study presents the concentrations of radionuclides and heavy metals in twenty-six table olive (Olea europaea L.) samples, and an assessment of the health risks associated with their consumption. The samples were collected from different towns in the Mediterranean region of Turkey, one of the major olive-producing countries in the world. The average activity con- centrations of 226 Ra, 232 Th, 40 K, and l37 Cs in the edible parts of the table olive samples were found as 37.9 ±4.1, 7.1 r 0.5,274.6 ± 14.7, and 7.2 r 0.7 Bqkg (dw), respectively, by using a gamma ray spectrometer. The effective radiation dose due lo the intake of these radionuclides through ingestion of olive samples varied from 3.4 to 22.7 µSv with an average value of 11 ± 1 µSv. The average concentrations of Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Sr, and Pb in the edible parts of I Ik table olive samples were determined as 2.04,11.08,166.60, 0.20,10.29,13.81, 14.34, 4.50, and 4.55 µgg -1 , respectively, by using an inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer. Based on the measured content of the radionuclides and heavy metals, the results imply that table olives are safe for human consumption. © 2018; Vinca Inst Nuclear Sci. All rights reserved