title: Estimation of annual effective dose due to ingestion of natural radionuclides in foodstuffs and water at a proposed uranium mining site in India.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the distribution of (210)Po, (226)Ra, (230)Th and U(nat) (naturally occurring radioisotopes of uranium [(234)U, (235)U and (238)U]) in food and water around the Bagjata uranium mining area in India.
  
  
  METHODS
  Radionuclides were analyzed in food samples of plant and animal origin after acid digestion. Intake and ingestion dose of the radionuclides were estimated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  (210)Po, (226)Ra, (230)Th and U(nat) in all the dietary components ranged widely from < 0.2-36, < 0.02-1.58, < 0.01-2.8 and < 0.017-0.39 Bqkg(-1), respectively. The range of (226)Ra and U(nat) in water was < 3.5-206 and < 12.6-693 mBql(-1), respectively. The intake of radionuclides considering food and water was calculated to be 760 BqY(-1) while the ingestion dose was 601 μSvY(-1). The estimated doses reflect the natural background dose via route of ingestion, which is below the 1 mSvY(-1) limit set by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP). However, the doses are more than the dose constraint of 300 μSvY(-1) as suggested by the ICRP for members of the public for planned disposal of long-lived radioactive waste.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study confirms that current levels of radionuclides do not pose significant radiological risk to the local inhabitants, but they need close investigation in the near future.
authors.affiliation: Geo-Environment Division (EMG), Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research , Dhanbad.
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: D004032:Diet; D005506:Food Contamination; D005843:Geography; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008906:Mining; D011059:Polonium / Q000032:analysis; D011834:Radiation Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D011850:Radioactive Waste / Q000032:analysis*; D011868:Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis*; D011883:Radium / Q000032:analysis; D012306:Risk; D013910:Thorium / Q000032:analysis; D014501:Uranium / Q000032:analysis*; D014867:Water / Q000032:analysis; D014875:Water Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D011850:Radioactive Waste; D011868:Radioisotopes; D014875:Water Pollutants, Radioactive; D014867:Water; D014501:Uranium; D013910:Thorium; D011059:Polonium; D011883:Radium