Assessment of current exposure levels in different population groups of the Kola Peninsula

Assessment of current exposure levels in different population groups of the Kola Peninsula

Activity concentrations of 137Cs and 90Sr in samples of vegetation and natural food products collected in the Kola Peninsula in 1998 and 1999 indicate a very slow decrease in contamination levels during the last decade, mainly due to the physical decay of the radionuclides. The activity concentratio...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of environmental radioactivity Vol. 60; no. 1; pp. 235 - 248
Main Authors: Travnikova, I.G., Shutov, V.N., Ya Bruk, G., Balonov, M.I., Skuterud, L., Strand, P., Pogorely, Ju.A., Burkova, T.F.
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: England Elsevier Ltd 2002
Subjects:
Animals
Bryopsida
Cesium Radioisotopes - analysis
Environmental Exposure
Food
Food Contamination
Fungi
Humans
Kola Peninsula
Lichens
Meat
Radiation dose
Radioactive Pollutants - analysis
Radioactive Pollutants - pharmacokinetics
Rangifer tarandus
Reindeer
Risk Assessment
Seasons
Strontium Radioisotopes - analysis
Russia, Murmanskaya, Kolski Peninsula
Reindeer
Radiation dose
Kola Peninsula
Food
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Summary:Activity concentrations of 137Cs and 90Sr in samples of vegetation and natural food products collected in the Kola Peninsula in 1998 and 1999 indicate a very slow decrease in contamination levels during the last decade, mainly due to the physical decay of the radionuclides. The activity concentrations of 137Cs in reindeer meat decreased with a half-life of about 9 years. 137Cs in lichen, moss and fungi is significantly higher than in natural vegetation (grasses) and agricultural plants (potatoes). The activity concentrations of 137Cs in reindeer meat were two orders of magnitude higher than those in locally produced beef and pork. Consumption of reindeer meat, fish, mushrooms and berries constituted the main contribution to the internal dose from 137Cs and 90Sr for reindeer-breeders in the Lovozero area. The estimated committed doses due to 137Cs intake in this group were about 10 μSv per month in summer 1998 and 15 μSv per month in winter, 1999. There was good agreement between internal dose estimates based on intake assessment and whole body measurements. The population of Umba settlement, which is not involved in reindeer breeding, received individual committed doses due to 137Cs intake of about 0.5 μSv per month, about a factor of 20 less than the reindeer-breeders in Lovozero. In this case, the main contribution to the internal dose of the general population came from consumption the of 137Cs in mushrooms and forest berries. The contribution of 90Sr to the internal dose varied from 1% to 5% in the different population groups studied.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-2
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content type line 23
ISSN:0265-931X
1879-1700
DOI:10.1016/S0265-931X(01)00106-0