Determination of committed effective doses to skin due to ²³⁸U, ²³²Th and ²²²Rn from the application of various Moroccan black soap (Saboun Beldi) samples by members of the general public.

(238)U, (232)Th, (222)Rn and (220)Rn concentrations were measured inside various Moroccan black soap samples widely used by the Moroccan population in traditional baths (Hammans) by using both CR-39 and LR-115 type II solid state nuclear track detectors. The measured (238)U, (232)Th, (222)Rn and (220)Rn concentrations, respectively, ranged from (3.7 ± 0.2) to (11.7 ± 0.7) mBq kg(-1), (0.11 ± 0.01) to (0.32 ± 0.02) mBq kg(-1), (3.8 ± 0.2) to (11.6 ± 0.6) Bq kg(-1) and (0.10 ± 0.01) to (0.31 ± 0.02) Bq kg(-1) for the Moroccan black soap samples studied. The influence of pollution on the concentrations of these radionuclides inside the considered Moroccan black soap was investigated. A new dosimetric model for evaluating annual committed effective doses due to (238)U, (232)Th and (222)Rn to the skin of different age groups of the Moroccan populations from the application of the black soap samples studied was developed. The maximum total committed effective dose to the skin due to (238)U, (232)Th and (222)Rn from the application of unpolluted black soap samples 20 min per week by the Moroccan populations was found to be equal to (0.88 ± 0.05) μ Sv y(-1) cm(-2).