Content of Radionuclides of Chernobyl Origin in Food Products for the Belarusian Population

Recent data on radionuclide contents of Chernobyl origin in food products and drinking water for the Belarusian population are reviewed. Strontium-90 and Cesium-137 are main radionuclides contributing to internal irradiation to the population. Contamination levels in food products from the social sector of agriculture (collective farms, agricultural co-operatives) are found to be generally below the current legal admissible level of RAL-99 that are defined to make internal dose of the population less than 1 mSv/yr. On the other hand, exceedings of RAL-99 are often found in food products from the private sector, especially in settlements of Gomel region where the contamination is the most serious in Belarus. Special attention should be paid to the non-farm products in the contaminated areas: mushrooms, berries, fish and meat of wild animals. For example, about 37,000 Bq/kg of Cs in fresh mushroom was registered in a settlement of Gomel region, which corresponds to 100 times of RAL-99 values. Concerning drinking water, the situation is quite good and no execeedings have been registered for the last 10 years. Introduction The Chernobyl APS accident led to heavy socio-economic consequences and worsening of the environment in a large number of territories in Republic of Belarus as a result of their pollution with radioactive components including Sr and Cs. Presently, these two radionuclides are the principal dose-forming factors of radiation on man and the most typical radioactive contaminants of food products. As the majority of radioactive substances enter into human organisms together with food, there is a permanent necessity to develop the measures on radiation protection of population from incorporated radioisotopes Sr and Cs. In order to decrease radionuclide incorporation with food, legal measures are taken in Belarus by setting admissible levels for Sr and radiocesiums (Cs and Cs) in food products. Current regulation of radionuclide contents in food products is carried out in correspondence with Republican Admissible Levels (RAL) adopted in 1999 (Table 1). The RAL values are defined so that annual internal dose of the population does not exceed the dose limit of 1 mSv/yr as far as the structure of their food consumption is typical in Belarus. Within the structure of food consumption by the Belarusian population, the share of potato, milk and bread constitutes more than 50%. This allows to consider them as the group of principal products. In this paper the recent situation of radionuclide contents in food products in Belarus is overviewed. Food products from the social sector The majority of food products in Belarus are produced by the social sector of agriculture (collective farms, agricultural co-operatives). Sr in principal products: Strontium-90 activity in milk, potato, rye bread and wheat bread from the social sector in Brest, Minsk,