Title: ²¹⁰Pb in marine salt consumed by the inhabitants of Recife, Brazil

Authors: C.M. Silva; C.E.O. Costa Júnior

Addresses: Escola Politécnica da Universidade de Pernambuco-Campus Benfica, Rua Benfica 455, Recife, PE 50720-001, Brazil ' Departamento de Energia Nuclear, Grupo de Estudos em Radioproteção e Radioecologia (GERAR), Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Av. Professor Luiz Freire, 1000, Recife, Pernambuco, CEP-50740-540, Brazil

Abstract: ²¹⁰Pb is widely distributed in the marine environment. The aim of this research, therefore, was to determine ²¹⁰Pb concentrations in marine salt consumed by the population of Recife and calculate the ingestion dose of ²¹⁰Pb due to marine salt consumption. The ion exchange resin method was used. The concentration of ²¹⁰Pb varied from 4 to 365 Bq kg⁻¹ in fresh weight. The estimated ingestion dose of ²¹⁰Pb due to consumption of marine salt in the population of Recife was 1.2 Sv, at least three orders of magnitude above the maximum recommended level.

Keywords: contamination; radioactivity; radiation dose; marine salt; Brazil; ingestion dose; radionuclides; radioactive isotopes; lead radioisotopes; low radiation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJLR.2014.063410

International Journal of Low Radiation, 2014 Vol.9 No.4, pp.266 - 273

Received: 07 Nov 2013
Accepted: 21 May 2014
Published online: 23 Oct 2014 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article