Annual effective dose and concentration levels of gross α and β in Turkish market tea

Tea is one of the most popular beverages all over the world which is prepared from the leaves of a shrub camellia sinensis. Eastern Black Sea Region of Turkey which account for around 100% of all tea production in Turkey was among the areas contaminated by Chernobyl accident. A comprehensive study was planned and carried out to determine the level of gross α and β radioactivity and annual effective dose equivalent in different Turkish market tea using LSC. The average measurements for digestion and infusion are 5.0 mBql-1 and 1.8 mBql-1 for gross α, 80.7 mBql-1 and 9.0 mBql-1 for gross β in tea samples. Contributions of the infusion tea samples to total annual effective dose equivalent from 238U, 234U, 230Th, 226Ra, 210Po, 232Th, 238Th, 210Pb and 228Ra are 0.103, 0.112, 0.480, 0.640, 2.742, 0.525, 0.164, 7.740 and 7.740 μSvy-1 for adults. The obtained results showed that natural activity concentrations of α- and β-emitting radionuclides and annual effective dose equivalent in tea samples did not exceed WHO recommended levels.