Assessment of Natural Radioactivity Concentrations, Annual Committed Effective Dose, and Excess Lifetime Cancer Risk in Local and Imported Rice Varieties from the Raparin Region, Iraqi Kurdistan

Assessment of natural radioactivity in food is essential for evaluating potential radiological risks to consumers and ensuring food safety. This study investigated the activity concentrations of naturally occurring radionuclides in local and imported rice varieties marketed in the Raparin Region, Iraqi Kurdistan, and assessed the associated radiological health risks. Seventeen rice samples were collected from local markets and analyzed using an ORTEC high-purity germanium (HPGe) gamma-ray spectrometry system with 30% relative efficiency and GammaVision software. The activity concentrations ranged from 0.34 ± 0.04 to 0.54 ± 0.06 Bq kg −1 for 226 Ra, 0.77 ± 0.09 to 2.33 ± 0.24 Bq kg −1 for 232 Th, and 9.71 ± 2.89 to 109.00 ± 17.00 Bq kg −1 for 40 K, with arithmetic mean values of 0.47 ± 0.06, 1.70 ± 0.36, and 71.32 ± 29.33 Bq kg −1 , respectively. The corresponding average values of annual committed effective dose and excess lifetime cancer risk were 0.037 mSv y −1 and 0.130 × 10 −3 , respectively. All calculated radiological indices were substantially below the internationally recommended safety limits. These findings indicate that the analyzed local and imported rice varieties do not pose a significant radiological health risk and are considered safe for human consumption under normal dietary intake. The results also provide baseline data for environmental radioactivity monitoring and food safety assessment in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.