Radiobiological long-term accumulation of environmental alpha radioactivity in extracted human teeth and animal bones in Malaysia

•Alpha emission rates in teeth from smokers slightly higher than non-smokers.•Difference between alpha rates in male and female tooth not statistically significant.•Alpha particles have the same effect at any age.•Difference between alpha rates in bones was statistically significant.

In this study, the radiobiological analysis of natural alpha emitters in extracted human teeth and animal bones from Malaysia was estimated. The microdistributions of alpha particles in tooth and bone samples were measured using CR-39 alpha-particle track detectors. The lowest and highest alpha emission rates in teeth in the Kedah and Perak states were 0.0080 ± 0.0005 mBq cm−2 and 0.061 ± 0.008 mBq cm−2, whereas those of bones in the Perlis and Kedah states were 0.0140 ± 0.0001 mBq cm−2 and 0.7700 ± 0.0282 mBq cm−2, respectively. The average alpha emission rate in male teeth was 0.0209 ± 0.0008 mBq cm−2, whereas that of female teeth was 0.0199 ± 0.0010 mBq cm−2. The alpha emission rate in teeth is higher in smokers (0.0228 ± 0.0008 mBq cm−2) than in non-smokers (0.0179 ± 0.0008 mBq cm−2). Such difference was found statistically significant (p < 0.01).