Ouagadougou: Student Illias Balima successfully defended his master's thesis on Friday at UJKZ. His thesis, entitled "Comparative Study of the Radioactivity Levels of Imported and Locally Grown Rice in Burkina Faso," was awarded to him for his Master's degree in Physics, specializing in Radiation Protection and Dosimetry. Awarded a grade of 18/20, the research revealed that the main varieties of imported rice and locally produced rice consumed in Burkina Faso exhibit low levels of radioactivity and do not pose a risk to public health.
According to Burkina Information Agency, rice is among the most consumed foodstuffs in Burkina Faso, with a constantly increasing national demand. Illias Balima noted that food consumption represents one of the main routes of absorption of radionuclides of natural or anthropogenic origin by the population. He stated that the presence of these radioactive substances in food can lead to exposure to ionizing radiation and, in the long term, increase health risks, including cancers and genetic mutations.
Carried out under the auspices of the National Authority for Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety (ARSN), Balima indicated that this study aims to contribute to the protection of the population against radiological risks linked to the consumption of rice in Burkina Faso. To carry out his work, the researcher analyzed 15 samples of rice, among the most consumed in Burkina Faso, including 8 imported varieties and 7 local varieties, using a gamma spectrometry chain equipped with a hyper-pure germanium detector.
The analyses allowed him to identify only naturally occurring radionuclides, including potassium-40 (K-40), radium-226 (Ra-226), and thorium-232 (Th-232). The specific activities measured remained generally low, with slightly higher levels in imported rice than in locally produced rice. Balima argued that the assessment of the annual committed effective dose and the cancer risk associated with the consumption of these rices revealed values far below the limits recommended by the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) and the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP).
These results show that the main types of rice available on the Burkinabe market do not present a danger to public health from the point of view of radioactivity, the applicant stated. He emphasized that his study represents a significant scientific contribution to Burkina Faso, as it provides baseline data on the radioactivity levels of the main rice consumed in the country. This data can serve as a basis for future research and for monitoring its evolution.
The student added that his study will also contribute to strengthening radiological monitoring of the environment and food, in support of national radiation protection and nuclear safety activities. The jury, composed of the president, Professor Issa Zerbo, lecturer-researcher at UJKZ, the thesis supervisor, Professor Martial Zoungrana, lecturer-researcher at UJKZ, the examiner, Dr. Eric Korsaga, assistant professor at UJKZ, and Dr. Zakaria Yam©ogo, physics advisor and doctor of radiation protection at the National Authority for Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety (ARSN), commended the scientific quality of the document and declared it admissible, awarding it a grade of 18/20.
The jury members nevertheless made amendments to further improve the document. This defense marks an important milestone for Joseph Ki-Zerbo University. Indeed, Illias Balima belongs to the first cohort of 14 students to defend Master's theses in physics, specializing in Radiation Protection and Dosimetry.