Natural and artificial radioactivity determination of some medicinal plants

Several medicinal plants used in Italy were analysed to determine natural and artificial radioactivity in those parts (leaves, fruits, seeds, roots, peduncles, flowers, barks, berries, thallus) used generally as remedies. The radionuclides were determined by alpha (238U, 210Po) and gamma (214Pb–Bi, 210Pb, 40K and 137Cs) spectrometry. 238U ranged between <0.1 and 7.32 Bq kgdry−1; 210Po between <0.1 and 30.3 Bq kgdry−1; 214Pb–214Bi between <0.3 and 16.6 Bq kgdry−1; 210Pb between <3 and 58.3 Bq kgdry−1; 40K between 66.2 and 3582.0 Bq kgdry−1; 137Cs between <0.3 and 10.7 Bq kgdry−1. The percentage of 210Po extraction in infusion and decoction was also determined; the arithmetical mean value of percentage of 210Po extraction resulted 20.7 ± 7.5.