Naturally occurring radionuclides in food and drinking water from a thorium-rich area

• DOI: 10.1007/s00411-012-0428-7
• Publication Date: 2012-07-10T11:51:29Z
• Authors: Dejanira da Costa...; Elaine R. R. Rochedo; Maria Luisa D. P....; Eliane E. Santos; Sandra S. Hacon
• Keywords: Water Pollutants, Radioactive; Drinking Water; Thorium; Lead Radioisotopes; Radiation Dosage; 01 natural sciences; 6. Clean water; 0104 chemical sciences; Radiation Monitoring; 13. Climate action; Animals; Humans; Uranium; Metals, Rare Earth; Food Contamination, Radioactive; Brazil; Radium

This paper focuses on a survey of uranium and thorium decay chain radionuclides in food and drinking water from the thorium-rich (monazite-bearing) region of Buena, which is located in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The radionuclide concentration values in the food and drinking water from Buena reached values higher than 100-fold the international reference values. The daily intake of radionuclides by the local population is similar to that of another high background radiation area in Brazil, but the intake is higher than that of residents from a normal background radiation area. Approximately 58 % of the food consumed by Buena inhabitants is produced locally. Based on that figure, locally produced food and the dilution of total radionuclides in the diet of residents caused by food importation are both highly relevant to a population's intake of radionuclides. The concentration values for (210)Pb and the radium isotopes in drinking water from Buena are among the highest values to be reported in the literature. (228)Ra is the most important radionuclide ingested with both food and water among the inhabitants of Buena.