Alpha radioactivity levels and heavy metal contamination in potato and corn chips consumed in Kurdistan region of Iraq

This study was carried out to estimate the concentrations of radon, radium and heavy metals in 30 samples of potato and corn chips consumed in Kurdistan region of Iraq to ensure food safety. Measurements were conducted using CR-39 detector to monitor radon levels and X-ray fluorescence to analyse the levels of copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), and iron (Fe) respectively. The findings demonstrate that the mean concentrations of radon and radium were 41.41 Bq m−3 and 115.81 mBq kg−1, which were found to be lower than global average values. Thus, the chips products analysed in this study are not radiologically hazardous. Annual effective dose for adults and children groups were also calculated, with mean values of 2.42 and 2.72 nSv y−1, which were far below the recommended limit as set by ICRP. Mean values of heavy metals concentrations were 3.66, 9.34, 3.61, and 18.22 mg kg−1 for Cu, Zn, Mn, and Fe, respectively. Overall, ingestion of some chips may pose a serious health risk due to heavy metal toxicity, particularly due to Mn and Fe contamination. Moreover, correlations between radon, radium, and heavy metal concentrations were determined using the Pearson correlation coefficient.