The raw parts (roots, leaves, seeds, flowers, etc.) and extracts of medicinal and aromatic herb (MAH) species are widely utilized in traditional and modern medicine as drugs to treat disease and/or prevent illnesses. MAH species absorb nutrients and minerals from the soil, as well as toxic elements and radionuclides dispersed in the environment. Thus, this may provoke concerns about the possibility of human internal exposure to radionuclides found in these MAH species. This study aims to create a detailed database related to the activity concentrations of the natural (228Ra, 226Ra, and 40K) and artificial (137Cs) radionuclides in popular commercial MAH species consumed in Türkiye and potential radiological health risks (PRHRs) due to the ingestion of MAHs. The activity concentrations (Bq/kg) of the radionuclides analyzed in the commercial popular 98 MAH samples by a gamma-ray spectrometric method varied from <0.6 to 19.3 with an average of 6.9 (228Ra), <0.5 to 37.5 with an average of 8.6 (226Ra), and 32 to 1297 with an average of 358 (40K). All activity concentrations of 137Cs were found below 0.3 Bq/kg. The average values of total annual effective dose, mortality cancer risk, and morbidity cancer risk estimated for adult consumers to assess PRHRs were found to be 16.5 μSv/y, 6.0 × 10−5 and 8.9 × 10−5, respectively. This study reveals that radiological data are below acceptable limits for public health, and therefore, the studied MAH samples are safe in terms of radiological risk.
Abdelfadeel, E.H., El-Halim, E.S.A., Hegazy, T.M., Ghany, H.A.A., 2023. Relationship between radioactivity and toxicity in some medicinal plants. Sci. Rep. 13(1), 1–13.
Achari, S., Pudiyaneravana Ramanand, V., Chikkahalkur Shivanandappa, K., Patlamane Pashupathi, S., Timmanna Hedge, S., Yerol, N., 2024. Evaluation of natural radioactivity and assessment of health risk due to the consumption of medicinal plants grown in the Western Ghat region of India. Int. J. Environ. Anal. Chem. 104(19), 7500–7522.
Adeleye, B., Chetty, N., 2023. Assessment of natural radionuclides in some prominent South African medicinal plants. Radiat. Eff. Defects Solids 178(7–8), 1056–1062.
Altamemi, R. A. A., Turhan, Ş., Kurnaz, A., 2021. Natural and anthropogenic radioactivity in some vegetables and fruits commonly consumed in the Western Black Sea Region of Turkey. Radiochim. Acta, 109(12), 935–942.
Bal, S.Ş., Gönültaş, F., Kılıç,Ö., Kurşat, M., Yetiş, A.D., 2019. Bitlis’te yetişen bazi tibbi ve aromatik bitkilerin radyo izotop aktivite konsantrasyonlari. BEU J. Sci. Technol. 8, 25–29. (in Turkish)
Canbazoglu, C., Ilter, S., Sahin-Bal, S., Karatepe, S., Dogru, M., 2018. A preliminary study on radioactivity concentrations and dose assessment of some anticarcinogenic medicinal plants used in Turkey. Fresenius Environ. Bull. 27, 793–798.
Cengiz, G.B., Çağlar, İ., 2019. Estimation of natural radioactivity of some medicinal or herbal plants used in Kars, Turkey. Acta Pharm. Sci. 57(4), 133–138.
Cengiz, G.B., Çağlar, İ. (2022). Transfer factors of natural radionuclides from soil to medicinal plants used by local people in Eastern Anatolia, Turkey. Int. J. Envir. Geoinform. 9(2), 039–044.
Dizman, S., 2026. Exploration of natural radioactivity and radiological hazards due to radioisotopes in some marble commercially sold in Türkiye. Radiat. Phys. Chem. 239, 1–6.
FAO/WHO, (1991). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations/World Health Organization Codex Alimentarius, General Requirements, Section 6.1, Guidance Levels for Radionuclides in Foods Following Accidental Nuclear Contamination, Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme. Rome.
Güven, A., Cengiz G.B., Çağlar, İ., Ateş, S., 2023. Evaluation of radioactivity levels and radiological hazards of some endemic plants used as medicine in Ankara, Turkey. Appl. Radiat. Isot. 200, 1–8.
IAEA, (2016). International Atomic Energy Agency, Criteria for Radionuclide Activity Concentrations for Food and Drinking Water, TECDOC-1788, IAEA, Vienna (2016). https://wwwpub.iaea.org/MTCD/Publications/PDF/TE-1788_web.pdf.
ICRP, (2007). Recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection. ICRP publication 103. Volume 37, 2–4.
ICRP, (2012). International Commission on Radiological Protection Compendium of Dose Coefficients based on ICRP Publication 60. ICRP Publication 119. Ann. ICRP 41(Suppl.) Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Jia, G., Jia, J., 2012. Determination of radium isotopes in environmental samples by gamma spectrometry, liquid scintillation counting and alpha spectrometry: a review of analytical methodology. J. Environ. Radioac. 106, 98–119.
Kamislioglu, M., Eke, C., Kaman, T., & Boztosun, I., 2021. Natural and artificial radionuclide activity concentrations and dose assessments of some medicinal plants in Balikesir, Turkey. Int. J. Environ. Anal. Chem. 103(20), 9062–9080.
Kandić, I., Kandić, A., Čeliković, I., Gavrilović, M., Janaćković, P., 2020. Activity concentrations of 137Cs, 40K, and 210Pb radionuclides in selected medicinal herbs from Central Serbia and their effective dose due to ingestion. Sci. Total Environ. 701, 1–7.
Karataşlı, M., Turhan, Ş., Abugoufa, A. H. A., Gören, E., Kurnaz, A., Hançerlioğulları, A., 2020. Radiological assessment of internal exposure resulting from ingestion of natural radionuclides in Arachis hypogaea L. grown in Turkey. Qual. Assur. Saf. Crops Foods 12(1), 11–17.
Khanal, M., Acharya, A., Maharjan, R., Upadhyay, D.R., Dhobi, S.H., Shah, B.R., Adhikari, R., Mulmi, D.D., Lamichhane, T.K., Lamichhane, H.P., 2024. Investigation of naturally occurring radionuclides in selected medicinal plants and associated soils, and calculation of soil-to-plant transfer factors, Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 280, 1–5.
Kırış, E., 2022. Radioactivity levels and radiation health hazards in medicinal plants used in Rize Province, Turkey. Int. J. Environ. Anal. Chem. 102(12), 2865–2878.
Kovacs, T., Horvath, M., Toth-Bodrogi, E., Somlai, J., 2015. 210Po, 210Pb, 226Ra, 232Th, 40K and 137Cs concentration of medicinal herbs. REM 4(2), 40–44.
Monica, S., Jojo, P.J., Khandaker, M.U., 2020. Radionuclide concentrations in medicinal florae and committed effective dose through Ayurvedic medicines. Int. J. Radiat. Biol. 96(8), 1028–1037.
Najam, L.A., Tafiq, N.F., Kitah, F.H., 2015. Estimation of natural radioactivity of some medicinal or herbal plants used in Iraq. Detection 3, 1–7.
Pakdemirli, B., Birişik, N., Akay, M., 2021. General overview of medicinal and aromatic plants in Turkey. J. Aegean Agric. Res. Ins. 31(1), 126–135.
Parmaksız, A., Ağuş, Y., 2014. Activity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th, 40K and 137Cs radionuclides in Turkish medicinal herbs, their ingestion doses and cancer risks. Radiat. Eff. Defects Solids, 169(11), 980–988.
Popoola, F.A., Isola, O.B., Fakeye, O.D., Owolabi, T.A., Sanyaolu, M.E., Owoyemi, S.I., Elijah, I.O., 2024. Examination of medicinal plants for radionuclide absorption and their health Implications. Pollution 10(2), 700–711.
Pourimani, R., Noori, M., Madadi, M., 2015. Radioactivity concentrations in eight medicinal and edible plant species from Shazand, Iran. Int. J. Ecosyst. 5(1), 22–29.
R Core Team, 2023. A language and environment for statistical computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria. https://www.R-project.org/. (accessed 2025)
Shatha, F., Al-Rubiee, M., Sini, M.A,. Al-jundi, J. S., 2015. Natural radioactivity determination in some medicinal plants. Am. J. Biomed. 3(6), 369–380.
Shuaibu, H.K., Kankara, U.M., Muhammad, A.N., Gusau, M.B., Garba, N.N., Kolo, M.T., Khandaker, M.U., 2025. Natural radioactivity and radiological risks in some medicinal plants consumed in northern Nigeria. Radiat. Phys. Chem. 234, 1–9.
Sultan, D.A.O., Turhan, Ş., Kurnaz, A., Hançerlioğulları, A., Kamberli, A K., Emeksizoğlu. B., 2020. Investigation of natural radionuclide and essential metal contents of ancient wheat einkorn (Triticum monococcum L.) grown in Turkey. Radiochim. Acta 108(12), 999–1007.
Sultana, S., Ferdous, J., Haque, M.M., 2020. Natural radioactivity and hazards assessment in medicinal plants in Bangladesh. J. Health Sci. 10(1), 20–27.
Sussa, F.V., Damatto, S.R., Alencar, M.M., Mazzilli, B.P., Silva, P.S., 2013. Natural radioactivity determination in samples of Peperomia pellucida commonly used as a medicinal herb. J. Environ. Radioact. 116, 148–151.
USEPA, (1999). United States Environmental Protection Agency Cancer Risk Coefficients for Environmental Exposure to Radionuclides. Federal Guidance Report No. 13, EPA 402-R-99-001, Washington, DC
Turhan, Ş., Kurnaz, A., Altuner, E. M., Topaç, A., 2025. Radiological quality of packaged natural spring waters sold in Türkiye and radiological health risk assessment. J. Food Compos. Anal. 146, 1–10.
WHO, (2019). Global Report on Traditional and Complementary Medicine 2019. World Health Organization, Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO, Geneva.
UNSCEAR, 2000. Sources, Effects and Risks of Ionizing Radiation: Report to the General Assembly with Annexes. United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation, New York.
Zamani, S., Fathi, M., Ebadi, M.T., Máthé, Á., 2025. Global trade of medicinal and aromatic plants. A review. J. Agric. Food Res. 21, 1–21.
Živković, M.P., Zlatić, N.M., Krstić, D.Z., Stanković, M.S., 2021. Health risk assessment of natural and artificial radionuclides ın medicinal plants. Kragujevac J. Sci. 43, 15–22.