Title: Concentration of natural radionuclides (⁴⁰K ²²⁸Ra and ²²⁶Ra) in seafood and their dose to coastal adult inhabitants around Kudankulam, Gulf o

Authors: M. Feroz Khan, Y. Lenin Raj, E. Mahiban Ross, S. Godwin Wesley

Addresses: Department of Zoology, Scott Christian College, Nagercoil, Tamil Nadu, 629003, India. ' Department of Zoology, Scott Christian College, Nagercoil, Tamil Nadu, 629003, India. ' Department of Zoology, Scott Christian College, Nagercoil, Tamil Nadu, 629003, India. ' Department of Zoology, Scott Christian College, Nagercoil, Tamil Nadu, 629003, India

Abstract: The concentrations of naturally occurring radionuclides, such as ⁴⁰K ²²⁸Ra and ²²⁶Ra, were determined in the edible fin fish and shellfish, consumed by most coastal inhabitants around Kudankulam. Fin fish and shellfish were collected from eight different sampling points within 30 km radius from the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project site. The samples were processed and counted using HPGe γ-ray spectrometry. In fin fish, ⁴⁰K activity ranged from 34.16 to 360.7 Bq kg⁻¹ fresh, ²²⁸Ra ranged from Below Detectable Limit (BDL) ≤ 0.12 to 1.9 Bq kg⁻¹ fresh and ²²⁶Ra ranged from BDL ≤ 0.06 to 0.18 Bq kg⁻¹ fresh. In shellfish, ⁴⁰K, ²²⁸Ra and ²²⁶Ra activities ranged from 15.6 to 96.6 Bq kg⁻¹ fresh; from 0.61 to 6.61 Bq kg⁻¹ fresh and from BDL ≤ 0.06 to 1.15 Bq kg⁻¹ fresh, respectively. The total daily intake resulting from consumption of fin fish and shellfish was 63.15 Bq kg⁻¹ d⁻¹ for ⁴⁰K, 0.54 Bq kg⁻¹ d⁻¹ for ²²⁸Ra and 0.096 Bq kg⁻¹ d⁻¹ for ²²⁶Ra. The annual dosage resulting from ingestion of natural radionuclides was 1.76 × 10⁻⁴ Sv yr⁻¹ for fishermen, 2.51 × 10⁻⁵ Sv yr⁻¹ for farmers and 2.01 × 10⁻⁵ Sv yr⁻¹ for labourers. In general, ⁴⁰K ²²⁸Ra and ²²⁶Ra contribute a total dose of 1.43 × 10⁻⁴ Sv yr⁻¹, 5.61 × 10⁻⁵ Sv yr⁻¹ and 2.35 × 10⁻⁵ Sv yr⁻¹, respectively.

Keywords: natural radioactivity; fin fish; shellfish; annual dose; India; radionuclides; low radiation; seafood; nuclear power plants.

DOI: 10.1504/IJLR.2007.015818

International Journal of Low Radiation, 2007 Vol.4 No.3, pp.217 - 231

Published online: 20 Nov 2007 *

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