ASSESSMENT OF RADIOLOGICAL HAZARD FOR VARIOUS FOOD COMMONLY USED IN REPUBLIC OF NORTH MACEDONIA

Consuming food containing radionuclides is particularly dangerous. If anyone ingests or inhales a radioactive particle, it continues to irradiate the body as long as it remains radioactive and stays in the body. However, studies on the radioactivity of consumable foods assume importance as it is necessary to estimate the ingestion dose to the public. Due to all this, the focus of this research was on determining the activity concentrations of 226Ra, 40K and 232Th. Forty-nine samples in three categories of vegetables, cereals (rice, wheat, corn), and milk, were collected from local markets (city of Skopje) in the Republic of North Macedonia and they were analyzed by using high-purity germanium (HPGe) detector to assess natural and artificial radioactivity. The average activity concentrations of 226Ra, 40K and 232Th of the tested samples were 2.85±1.15, 2.48±0.85, and 80.64±5.45 Bq kg-1, respectively. No artificial radionuclide was found in any of these samples. The average value of the radium equivalent activity in all samples was 12.56 Bq kg-1, which was less than the maximum permitted value of 370 Bq kg-1. The values ​​of the external hazard indices for vegetables, cereals and milk samples vary with an average value of 0.11, which is less than one in all samples indicating the non-harmfulness of the samples. The mean activity concentrations of 226Ra, 40K and 232Th (Bq kg-1) in the samples were used to calculate the absorbed dose rate whose mean value for all food samples was 6.16 Bq kg-1. It was determined that the measured values are within the globally accepted values, i.e., they are quite lower than the data in literature. These data would be useful to establish a baseline for natural radioactivity concentrations in food products consumed in the Republic of North Macedonia

DETERMINATION OF RADIONUCLIDE CONCENTRATION IN MILK SAMPLES CONSUMED IN REPUBLIC OF NORTH MACEDONIA AND POPULATION DOSE RATE ESTIMATES

Milk is one of the most important food products in the human diet and contains all the macronutrients, that is, proteins, carbohydrates, fat, vitamins (A, D and B groups) and trace elements, especially calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc and selenium. Milk contamination is largely due to the grazing of animals on contaminated grass and drinking water. Grass is a direct source or route of radionuclides to animals and humans through the consumption of meat and milk. One of the important tasks of the veterinary activity is veterinary-sanitary supervision of the production and sale of milk and dairy products, whose main goal is the provision of biologically good milk and dairy products from healthy animals.The purpose of this study was to determine the activity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th 40K and 137Cs in milk samples most commonly used in daily consumption in the Republic of North Macedonia and based on the results, the risk of radiation to the population can be estimated. An instrument - gamma spectrometer (Canberra Packard) with a high purity germanium detector and GENIE 2000 program was used for measurement of the samples.On the basis of the performed tests, the mean activity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K were 1.76 ± 0.23; 1.05 ± 1.00; 31.9 ± 5.07 (Bq·kg-1), respectively. 40K has the highest value compared to other radionuclides due to the process of transfer from soil to grass and from grass and water to milk.The activity of 137Cs is below the detection limit for all tested milk types. This shows that there is no risk of radiation to the population, i.e., the safety limits are not exceeded, which points out the insignificant threat of radiation arising from radionuclides that are naturally or artificially present in the tested milk, and that reach humans through the food chain

Radionuclide contamination and nutritional evaluation of the wheat mostly used in the Republic of North Macedonia

Wheat is one of the world's most commonly consumed cereal grains. It originates from a type of grass (Triticum) that is grown in countless varieties worldwide. Bread wheat or common wheat is a primary species. Several other closely related species include durum, spelt, emmer, einkorn, and Khorasan wheat. In addition to being a major source of starch and energy, wheat also provides substantial amounts of a number of components which are essential or beneficial for health, notably proteins, vitamins (notably B vitamins), dietary fibres, and phytochemicals. Wheat is a basic food product of Macedonian population. This study is mainly focused on measuring the concentration of radioactivity due to natural radioactive nuclides (226Ra, 232Th, 40K) in wheat grain samples, as well as on determining the quality of wheat used in daily diet. In addition, in this study we calculated radiation hazard indices (radium equivalent activity and internal hazard index) in the wheat sample. Average activity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K in the wheat samples were 0.57±0.14; 0.39±0.11; 96.55±0.86 (Bq·kg-1 ), respectively. The radiation hazard indices were calculated for all samples in this study where mean values did not exceed safety limits, pointing out to negligible radiation hazard arising from terrestrial radionuclides that are naturally present in wheat. In terms of quality, we confirmed that all tested samples meet the requirements regarding quality in accordance with the laws in our country

Human Rights in Patient Care: A Practitioner Guide - Macedonia

Health systems can too often be places of punishment, coercion, and violations of basic rights—rather than places of treatment and care. In many cases, existing laws and tools that provide remedies are not adequately used to protect rights.This Practitioner Guide series presents practical how-to manuals for lawyers interested in taking cases around human rights in patient care. The manuals examine patient and provider rights and responsibilities, as well as procedures for protection through both the formal court system and alternative mechanisms in 10 countries.Each Practitioner Guide is country-specific, supplementing coverage of the international and regional framework with national standards and procedures in the following:ArmeniaGeorgiaKazakhstanKyrgyzstanMacedoniaMoldova (forthcoming)RomaniaRussia (forthcoming)SerbiaUkraineThis series is the first to systematically examine the application of constitutional, civil, and criminal laws; categorize them by right; and provide examples and practical tips. As such, the guides are useful for medical professionals, public health mangers, Ministries of Health and Justice personnel, patient advocacy groups, and patients themselves.Advancing Human Rights in Patient Care: The Law in Seven Transitional Countries is a compendium that supplements the practitioner guides. It provides the first comparative overview of legal norms, practice cannons, and procedures for addressing rights in health care in Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia, Russia, and Ukraine.A Legal Fellow in Human Rights in each country is undertaking the updating of each guide and building the field of human rights in patient care through trainings and the development of materials, networks, and jurisprudence. Fellows are recent law graduates based at a local organization with expertise and an interest in expanding work in law, human rights, and patient care. To learn more about the fellowships, please visit health-rights.org