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Gross alpha, gross beta and radionuclides (210Po, 210Pb, 238U, 232Th, 226Ra and 40K) exposure assessment due to meat consumption

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Abstract

In the present work natural radioactivity was investigated in 27 samples of meat (fish, pork, chicken) collected in the period 2014–2016 from Galati, Braila and Vrancea counties, Romania. Level of gross alpha activity, gross beta activity and the concentrations of 210Po, 210Pb, 238U, 232Th, 226Ra, and 40K were determined. The values of the activity concentrations (fresh weight) in meat samples ranged in the intervals: 9–1632 mBq kg−1 (gross alpha), 31–133 Bq kg−1 (gross beta), 15–62 mBq kg−1 (210Po), 7–28 mBq kg−1 (210Pb), 9–58 mBq kg−1 (238U), 5–19 mBq kg−1 (232Th), 18–126 Bq kg−1 (40K), 0.7–5.7 Bq kg−1 (226Ra). Although the highest effective dose per kg was calculated for fish samples (2.4 ± 0.3 μSv kg−1), the highest annual effective dose (47.5 ± 6.6 μSv year−1) has been found in case of pork meat consumption.

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Acknowledgements

This study is an integral part of National Public Health Programme (PN II): The radioactivity monitoring of drinking water and food-stuff according with the Euratom requirements, developed by the Ministry of Health of Romania, through Ionizing Radiation Hygiene Laboratories. The first author (VP) would like to thank the team of Ionizing Radiation Hygiene Laboratory, Galati, which participated at this work: Andrei O., Apostu C., Rascanu V. and A. Chiriac. We also wish to thank the two anonymous reviewers for their thorough analysis of the manuscript and valuable comments which led to significant improvement of the paper.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Doctoral School of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Dunarea de Jos University of Galati, 47 Domneasca St., 800008, Galaţi, Romania

    Violeta Pintilie

  2. Department of Public Health Galati, Ionizing Radiation Laboratory, 12B Rosiori St., 800066, Galaţi, Romania

    Violeta Pintilie

  3. Department of Chemistry, Physics and Environment, Faculty of Sciences and Environment, Dunarea de Jos University of Galati, 47 Domneasca St., 800008, Galaţi, Romania

    Antoaneta Ene, Lucian Puiu Georgescu & Catalina Iticescu

  4. Faculty of Chemistry, University of Bucharest, 4-12 Regina Elisabeta St., 030018, Bucharest, Romania

    Adelina Georgiana Pintilie

  5. Department of Food Science, Food Engineering and Applied Biotechnology, Faculty of Food Science and Engineering, Dunarea de Jos University of Galati, 47 Domneasca St., 800008, Galaţi, Romania

    Dana Iulia Moraru

Authors
  1. Violeta Pintilie
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  2. Antoaneta Ene
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  3. Lucian Puiu Georgescu
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  4. Adelina Georgiana Pintilie
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  5. Dana Iulia Moraru
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  6. Catalina Iticescu
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Correspondence to Antoaneta Ene.

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Pintilie, V., Ene, A., Georgescu, L.P. et al. Gross alpha, gross beta and radionuclides (210Po, 210Pb, 238U, 232Th, 226Ra and 40K) exposure assessment due to meat consumption. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 318, 991–1000 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-018-6156-y

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