Long-term Investigations of {sup 134}Cs and {sup 137}Cs Activity Concentrations in Honey from Croatia

Journal Article · Mon Apr 15 04:00:00 EDT 2019 · Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1007/S00128-019-02571-8· OSTI ID:22933722

Franić, Zdenko; Branica, Gina ^[1]

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1. Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Radiation Protection Unit (Croatia)

This paper presents the results of long-term post-Chernobyl investigations of {sup 134}Cs and {sup 137}Cs activity concentrations in multifloral and chestnut honey sampled in northwest Croatia. For both radionuclides, the activity concentrations peaked in May 1986, decreasing exponentially until the mid-1990 s, when they fell under the detection limit for both radionuclides. After the Fukushima-Daiichi accident in 2011, the presence of both radionuclides in honey was detected once again. The ecological half-life was estimated to be 1.67 and 1.45 years for {sup 137}Cs and {sup 134}Cs, respectively. The correlation between {sup 134}Cs and {sup 137}Cs activity concentrations in fallout and honey was very good, indicating fallout to be the main source of honey contamination. The observed {sup 134}Cs/{sup 137}Cs activity ratio in honey was similar to the ratio found in other environmental samples. The estimated collective effective doses for the Croatian population incurred by honey consumption indicate that honey was not a critical pathway for the transfer of {sup 134}Cs and {sup 137}Cs from fallout to humans.

• OSTI ID: 22933722
• Journal Information: Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, Journal Name: Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology Journal Issue: 4 Vol. 102; ISSN 0007-4861; ISSN BECTA6
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
CESIUM 134
CESIUM 137
CHESTNUTS
CONCENTRATION RATIO
CONTAMINATION
CROATIA
ENVIRONMENTAL MATERIALS
FALLOUT
FUKUSHIMA DAIICHI NUCLEAR POWER STATION
HONEY