title: Dose estimates for the local inhabitants from 210Po ingestion via dietary sources at a proposed uranium mining site in India.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the distribution of (210)Po activity in food in Bagjata in East Singhbhum, India.
  
  
  METHODS
  (210)Po were analyzed in the food samples of plant origin such as cereals, pulses, fruits, vegetables and food of animal origin such fish, chicken, egg, etc., in and around Bagjata uranium mining area as a part of baseline study after acid digestion. The intake and ingestion dose of the radionuclide was estimated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The general range of (210)Po activity in all the dietary components ranged widely from <0.2-36 Bqkg(-1)(fresh). In the food of plant origin, the minimum activity of (210)Po was estimated in vegetables while maximum in pulses. In food of animal origin, the observed minimum activity of (210)Po was in eggs and the maximum observed was in chicken samples. The intake of (210)Po considering all dietary components was found to be 464 Bq.Y(-1) while the ingestion dose was calculated to be 557 μSv.Y(-1), respectively. The estimated doses are reflecting the natural background dose via the route of ingestion, which is much below the 1 mSv limit set in the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) recommendations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study confirms that current levels of (210)Po do not pose a significant radiological risk to the local inhabitants.
authors.affiliation: Geo-Environment Division (EMG), Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research, Dhanbad. soma0307@gmail.com
authors.forename: Soma
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Giri
authors.forename: V N
authors.initials: VN
authors.lastname: Jha
authors.forename: Gurdeep
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Tripathi
mesh_terms: D001822:Body Burden; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005504:Food Analysis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005507:Food Contamination, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008906:Mining / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015233:Models, Statistical; D011059:Polonium / Q000032:analysis*; D011874:Radiometry / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D014501:Uranium / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D014501:Uranium; D011059:Polonium