Ilma Dwi Winarni, Evans Azka Fajrianshah, Nicha Miranda, Riyaz Yusuf, Ramdhan Firman Saputra, Sesti Nurlatifah, Dhifana Mustachidah, Oumar Bobbo Modibo, Wahyudi, Radhia Pradana, Agus Nur Rachman, Ilsa Rosianna, Leons Rixson, Rusbani Kurniawan, Eka Djatnika Nugraha
This study estimates the soil-to-banana transfer factor of radionuclides in southern of Lampung, Indonesia, a region influenced by a large coal-fired power plant (CFPP) and other heavy industrial activities. This region is renowned for its banana productions, exceeding 11,000 tons annually for both local consumption (notably greater Jakarta) and export. Coal combustion in CFPP concentrates natural radionuclides from a series of uranium and thorium within the resulting ash. Soil and banana samples from Srengsem, Mataram, and Rangai Tri Tunggal villages were analyzed for 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K using a calibrated P-type High-Purity Germanium (HPGe) detector. The study found average activity concentrations in soil were 26 ± 1 Bq kg−1 for 226Ra, 28 ± 1 Bq kg−1 for 232Th, and 368 ± 12 Bq kg−1 for 40K. In banana, 226Ra at 6 ± 1 Bq kg−1 and 40K at 288 ± 10 Bq kg−1 (40K) were detected, while 232Th below of limit detection. The transfer factors for 226Ra and 40K were counted at 0.3 ± 0.2 and 1.6 ± 1.3, respectively, showing medium to high uptake. The estimated effective dose was significantly below the BAPETEN limit of 1 mSv year−1, confirming that bananas cultivated in southern of Lampung area are safe for human consumption with minimal radiological impact. The findings underscore the critical insights into the safety of agricultural products produced in regions impacted by industrial activities and provides data for support the development of robust national food security management strategies. © 2025 Elsevier Ltd
Research Center for Safety, Metrology, and Nuclear Quality Technology, Research Organization for Nuclear Energy (ORTN), National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), South Tangerang, 15343, Indonesia; Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Sumatera Institute of Technology, South Lampung, 35365, Indonesia; Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University Jakarta, South Tangerang, 15412, Indonesia; Research Centre for Nuclear Science and Technology, Institute of Geological and Mining Research, P.O. Box 4110, Yaoundé, Cameroon; Research Center for Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Radioactive Waste Technology, Research Organization for Nuclear Energy (ORTN), National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), South Tangerang, 15343, Indonesia