Radioactivity in Food: Experiences of the Food Control Authority of Basel-City since the Chernobyl Accident

Abstract

The contamination of our environment and of food with artificial radionuclides originates from several sources. First, nuclear powers spread contamination all over the Northern Hemisphere by carrying out more than 600 atmospheric bomb tests from 1945 to 1963. The peaceful use of nuclear fission brought several accidents in nuclear installations [nuclear power plant (NPP)]. This began in the late 1940s and ended recently with the NPP's core meltings at Fukushima-Daiji in 2011. The catastrophe at the Chernobyl NPP in 1986 spread enormous fallout over most parts of Europe. Besides the artificial contamination, one has to mention the exposure to naturally occurring radionuclides from the uranium and thorium decay series. From 1980 on, the State Laboratory Basel-City began a monitoring programme of food. Special equipment for the analysis of α-, β-, and γ-emitting radionuclides had to be built. In 1986/1987, the laboratory had to manage thousands of samples according to the accident at Chernobyl. The Government estimated the dose of the mean Swiss population from the ingestion of contaminated food to be 1 to 2 mSv. Today, the contamination of food has lowered significantly. The Office of Public Health estimated the total ingested dose of about 0.3 to 0.4 mSv/year. The main contribution comes from potassium-40 (40 K; 0.2 mSv/year) and from natural radionuclides of the uranium and thorium decay series. The remaining contamination from the bomb fallout is less than 0.1 mSv/year.

Monitoring of Natural Radioactivity in Drinking Water and Food with Emphasis on Alpha-Emitting Radionuclides

“…In spices, radium species are dominant, while pepper can contain higher amounts of thorium nuclides. [83,84]. Table 10.…”

Gamma-Ray Spectrometry and the Investigation of Environmental and Food Samples

“…The typical tracer food for this is milk. We recently published a review of radioactivity monitoring in Switzerland over the last 35 years [56]. We compared the contamination level of food categories with artificial radionuclides.…”

Study of Natural Radionuclides in Frequently Consumed Foodstuffs in Ode-Irele, Ondo State, Nigeria

“…Whenever some animals ingest NORMs in plants and humans also feed on them, it can put the lives of such persons at risk, especially when the content keeps increasing over a long period. Fishes in water may consume water which contains NORMs which can find their ways into human bodies when consumed (Zehringer, 2016). Zehringer (2016) stressed that radiological activities in foods are usually guided and monitored by certain organizations saddled with the responsibility of the maintenance of food security in different parts of the country to prevent the public from consuming foods and any other substances presumed to be capable of posing radiological abnormalities to people.…”

“…Fishes in water may consume water which contains NORMs which can find their ways into human bodies when consumed (Zehringer, 2016). Zehringer (2016) stressed that radiological activities in foods are usually guided and monitored by certain organizations saddled with the responsibility of the maintenance of food security in different parts of the country to prevent the public from consuming foods and any other substances presumed to be capable of posing radiological abnormalities to people. The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) in Nigeria and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States, are some of the agencies that test foods and make sure they are free from contaminants such as radiations, before allowing producers release them to the public (Lordford et al, 2013).…”