Alpha and gamma spectrometry for determination of natural and artificial radionuclides in tea, herbal tea and camomile marketed in Italy

Several kinds of tea, camomile and herbal tea were analysed to determine natural and artificial radioactivity. The radionuclides were determined by alpha (210Po) and gamma (228Ac, 214Pb, 214Bi, 210Pb, 40K and 137Cs) spectrometry. 228Ac ranged between 0.6 and 9.0 Bq kg−1dry; 210Po between 1.90 and 36.1 Bq kg−1dry; 214Pb and 214Bi between 0.7 and 4.9 Bq kg−1dry; 210Pb between < 10.0 and 58.9 Bq kg−1dry; 40K between 463 and 936 Bq kg−1dry; 137Cs between < 0.3 and 2.6 Bq kg−1dry. The percentage of 210Po extraction in infusion was also determined; the arithmetical mean value of percentage of 210Po extraction resulted 20.7 ± 7.50.