Annual dose of Taiwanese from the ingestion of 210Po in oysters

Abstract: Oysters around the coast of Taiwan were collected, dried, spiked with a 209Po tracer for yield, digested with concentrated HNO3 and H2O2, and finally dissolved in 0.5N HCl. The polonium was then spontaneously deposited onto a silver disc, and the activity of 210Po was measured using an alpha spectrum analyzer equipped with a silicon barrier detector. Meanwhile, the internal effective dose of 210Po coming from the intake of oysters by Taiwanese was evaluated. The results of the present study indicate that 210Po average activity concentrations ranged from 23.4±0.4 to 126±94Bqkg−1 of fresh oysters. The oysters coming from Penghu island and Kinmen island regions contain higher concentrations of 210Po in comparison with oysters from other regions of Taiwan. The value of 210Po weighted average activity concentrations for all oyster samples studied is 25.9Bqkg−1. The annual effective dose of Taiwanese due to the ingestion of 210Po in oysters was estimated to be 4.1×10−2 mSvy−1. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]