Natural radionuclides in cigarette tobacco from Serbian market and effective dose estimate from smoke inhalation

Abstract

The activity concentrations of natural radionuclides (K-40, Pb-210, Po-210, Ra-226 and Ra-228) in 17 most frequently used cigarette brands in Serbia and corresponding effective doses due to smoke inhalation are presented. The mean annual effective doses for Pb-210 and Po-210 were estimated to be 47.3 and 724 A mu Sv y(-1) for Pb-210 and Po-210, respectively. Serbia currently has the highest smoking rate in the world. The results of this study indicate the high contribution of the annual effective dose due to smoke inhalation to the total inhalation dose from natural radionuclides. The more effective implementation of actions for reducing smoking prevalence in Serbia is highly needed.