RADIOACTIVITY MEASUREMENTS OF FISH SAMPLES FROM SERBIAN MARKETS

Abstract

Concentrations of naturally occurring radionuclides (226Ra, 232Th, and 40K), as well as anthropogenic radionuclides (137Cs), in a total of 10 fish samples (freshwater species Oncorhynchus mykiss and Cyprinus carpio, and marine species Merluccius merluccius and Scomber scombrus) were purchased on Serbian markets have been measured to better understand background radiation levels in daily food diet. This investigation verified that the main source of radiation exposure from the fish intake is 40K. In this study, none of the fish samples examined had any 134Cs at measurable levels. An average 137Cs level was below 20 Bq.kg-1. The resulting radiation dose for people from fish consumption would be a very small fraction of the annual dose from exposure to natural background radiation. According to the findings, fish from Serbian markets do not present a radiological health risk.