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Radioactivity in Food may be contaminated with radioactive materials due to the natural and a nuclear emergency. The vegetables and fruits will become radioactive by deposit of radioactive materials falling on that from the air or through rain water. The aims of the present work were to measure the specific activity and annual effective dose as a result of the intake of vegetables and fruits collected from local market in Najaf governorate. Natural radioactivity was measured in samples using gamma ray spectrometer in this study. The results show that the average specific activities in vegetables samples for 238 -1 , while the total average annual effective dose in vegetables samples for adults, children (10 years old) and infants is estimated to be 0.117, 0.122, and 0.179 mSv, respectively, while the total average annual effective dose in fruit samples for adults, children (10 years old) and infants is estimated to be 0.141, 0.295, and 0.388 mSv, respectively. The values found for specific activity and the annual effective dose in all samples in this study were lower than worldwide median values for all groups according to UNSCEAR (2000) and ICRP (1996) respectively; therefore, these values are found to be safe.Keywords: Natural Radioactivity. Vegetables and Fruits. Gamma ray spectrometer. Iraq food RESUMOA radioatividade em alimentos pode acontecer por meio de materiais radioativos, graças a ocorrências naturais e/ou nucleares. Legumes e frutas tornam-se radioativos por depósito de materiais radioativos que caem a partir do ar ou através da água da chuva. Os objetivos da presente pesquisa foram: medir a atividade específica e dose efetiva anual, como consequência da ingestão de frutas e legumes coletados de um mercado local na província de Najaf, Iraque. Neste estudo, a radioatividade natural foi medida em amostras utilizando espectrômetro de raios gama. Os resultados mostram que as atividades específicas médias em amostras vegetais para 238 U, 232 Th e 40 K foram 5,21, 4,76 e 186,15 Bq kg -1 e as atividades específicas médias para 232 Th, 40 K em amostras de frutas foram 2,53, 211,64 Bq kg -1 , enquanto que a dose média anual eficaz total em amostras de vegetais para adultos, crianças (10 anos) e recém-nascidos é estimada como sendo 0,117, 0,122, e 0,179 mSv, ao passo que a dose média anual eficaz total em amostras de frutas para adultos, crianças (10 anos) e recém-nascidos é estimada como sendo 0,141, 0,295, e 0,388 mSv, respectivamente. Os valores encontrados para essa atividade específica e a dose efetiva anual em todas as amostras neste estudo foram inferiores aos valores médios mundiais para todos os grupos de acordo com UNSCEAR (2000) e ICRP (1996), respectivamente; portanto, concluiuse que tais valores são considerados seguros.Palavras-chave: Radioatividade natural. Legumes e frutas. Espectrômetro de raios gama. Alimentos iraquianos.

The performance of ternary electroless deposited Ni-P-W and Ni-P-alumina composite coatings on low carbon steel substrates was studied. The effect of experimental parameters, such as temperature, pH, nickel sulfate concentration, sodium hypophosphite concentration, sodium citrate concentration, and deposition time on the deposition rate were investigated. The coating brightness, coherence, and uniform surface distribution were improved due to addition of W and alumina. The coating performance was evaluated based on the wear-resistance, micro-hardness, and corrosion resistance. The Ni-P-W ternary alloy coatings showed the highest micro hardness, wear-resistance, brightness, and corrosion resistance. The improvement in the performance of Ni-P-W coatings can be explained by the formation of a tungsten phosphide phase.

In present study, natural levels of radiation in some selected medical plants existing in the Iraqi stores were estimated to determine any activity concentration, radium equivalent and internal hazard index due to radionuclide, of 238U, 232Th as well as 40K, which occurs naturally. This activity concentration was identified by gamma-ray spectroscopy (NaI(Tl)). The findings indicate that, the rate of activity concentration for Uranum-238, Thorium-232 and Potasium-40 in the medical plants were (4.953 0.37) Bq.kg -1 , (2.916 0.12) Bq.kg -1 and (219.134 2.24) Bq.kg -1 respectively. The values of the radium equivalent ranged from (6.081 0.09) Bq.kg -1 to (44.608 0.46) Bq.kg -1 with the rate of (20.278 0.38) Bq.kg -1 , while the values of the internal hazard index ranged from (0.016) to (0.135) with the rate of (0.060). The natural radionuclides and activity of the radium equivalent in the medical plant samples were far below the world for the ingestion of naturally occurring radionuclide provided in UNSCEAR 2000 report. Also there was calculated the internal hazard index for all samples that were less than unity. The samples under study were analysed and discharged, therefore they can no be consumed anymore.

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