ON THE METHODOLOGY OF PASSPORT DOSES CALCULATION FOR UKRAINIAN SETTLEMENTS RADIOACTIVELY CONTAMINATED DUE TO THE CHORNOBYL NPP ACCIDENT. / ЩОДО МЕТОДИКИ РОЗРАХУНКУ ПАСПОРТНИХ ДОЗ НАСЕЛЕНИХ ПУНКТІВ УКРАЇНИ, ЯКІ ЗАЗНАЛИ РАДІОАКТИВНОГО ЗАБРУДНЕННЯ В РЕЗУЛЬТАТІ АВАРІЇ НА ЧАЕС.

OBJECTIVE: scientific substantiation of the new methodology for estimation of passport doses of the settlementswhich belong to Zone of Unconditional (obligatory) Resettlement, or 2nd zone and Zone of Granted VoluntaryResettlement, or 3rd zone in the framework of dosimetric passportization in accordance with the legislation ofUkraine. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 37 years after the accident, radioactive contamination of the environment has significantly decreased. However, it is still necessary to carry out ecological and dosimetric monitoring and apply countermeasures in certain territories of Ukraine affected by the accident at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant: restriction of the consumption of locally produced milk, forest products, etc. The methodology, which was since 1996 used to estimate the passport doses of Ukrainian settlements, no longer corresponds to the current level of scientific knowledge about radioactive contamination of environment. The new methods of passport doses calculating presented in the work involves the use of a model whose parameters are determined by the types, quality and completeness of radio-ecological and dosimetric monitoring carried out on the radioactively contaminated territories in 1986-2013. The methodology takes into account the specific of radioactive contamination of each settlement. The passport dose of external exposure is reconstructed only from 137Cs radionuclide, because the contributions of other Chornobyl radionuclides influence the radiation dose only in the first years after the accident. The passport dose of internal exposure is formed as a result of the consumption of 137Cs contaminated food products. It is calculated depending on the availability in the settlement in the current year of the results of measurements of the 137Cs radionuclide activity incorporated in the human body using a whole body counter (WBC) and the activity of 137Cs in the private milk. At the same time, priority is given precisely to the results of WBC measurements of 137Cs. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: A new methodology (Methodology-2023) for passport doses calculation of Ukrainian settlements was substantiated. A comparison of passport doses based on the results of radioecological and dosimetric monitoring in 2011 calculated by Methodology-2023 and passport doses calculated by Methodology-96 was made.Passport doses calculated by Methodology-2023 increased by 40 % on average compared to doses calculated by Methodology-96. At the same time, passport doses of internal radiation calculated by the new methodologyincreased by 1.5 times, and passport doses of external radiation increased by 1.7 times. The passport dose of 2011, calculated by Methodology-2023, exceeds the legally established limit of 1 mSv in 71 settlements, most of which are located in Korostenkyi raion of Zhytomyr Oblast.

Radioactive contamination in feral dogs in the Chernobyl exclusion zone: Population body-burden survey and implications for human radiation exposure.

This report describes a two-year effort to survey the internal 137Cs and external ß-emitter contamination present in the feral dog population near the Chernobyl nuclear power plant (ChNPP) site, and to understand the potential for human radiation exposure from this contamination. This work was performed as an integral part of the radiation safety and control procedures of an animal welfare oriented trap-neuter-release (TNR) program. The measurement program focused on external contamination surveys using handheld ß-sensitive probes, and internal contamination studies using a simple whole-body counter. Internal 137Cs burden was measured non-invasively during post-surgical observation and recovery. External ß contamination surveys performed during intake showed that 21/288 animals had significant, removable external contamination, though not enough to pose a large hazard for incidental contact. Measurements with the whole-body counter indicated internal 137Cs body burdens ranging from undetectable (minimum detection level ∼100 Bq/kg in 2017, ∼30 Bq/kg in 2018) to approximately 30,000 Bq/kg. A total of 33 animals had 137Cs body-burdens above 1 kBq/kg, though none posed an external exposure hazard. The large variation in the 137Cs concentration in these animals is not well-understood, could be due to prey selection, access to human food scraps, or extended residence in highly contaminated areas. The small minority of animals with external contamination may pose a contamination risk allowing exposures in excess of regulatory standards.

Applicability of non-destructive equipment for radioactivity measurement to screening radio-cesium in foods.

This study aimed to evaluate the applicability of non-destructive radioactivity measurement equipments for screening radio-cesium in whole foods without sample preparation procedures. Wild mushrooms and bamboo shoots were collected and studied using five different non-destructive radioactivity devices, and activity concentration was determined by conventional gamma-ray spectrometry using a Ge-detector. Linear regression analyses of activity concentrations were conducted and prediction intervals determined as uncertainties. Overall, non-destructive radioactivity measurement devices found to be suitable for screening radioactive cesium contamination in foods with an effective screening level.

Radiation dose and gene expression analysis of wild boar 10 years after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant accident.

The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident led to contamination with radioactive cesium in an extensive environment in Japan in 2011. We evaluated the concentration of radioactive cesium in the skeletal muscles of 22 wild boars and the expression of IFN-γ, TLR3, and CyclinG1 in the small intestine and compared them with those of wild boar samples collected from Hyogo prefecture. The average 137Cs radioactivity concentration in wild boars in the ex-evacuation zone was 470 Bq/kg. Most of samples still showed radioactivity concentration that exceeded the regulatory limit for foods, but the dose remarkably decreased compared with samples just after the accident. IFN-γ expression was significantly higher in wild boars in the ex-evacuation zone than in samples from Hyogo prefecture. TLR3 expression was also upregulated. CyclinG1 expression also tended to be high. Hence, wild boars might have received some effects of low-dose radiation, and immune cells were activated to some extent. However, pathological examination revealed no inflammatory cell infiltration or pathological damage in the small intestine of wild boars in the ex-evacuation area. Long-term monitoring would be necessary, but we consider that the living body responds appropriately to a stimulus from a contaminated environment.

Parameter Values for Estimation of Internal Doses from Ingestion of Radioactive Fallout from Nuclear Detonations.

ABSTRACT: This paper suggests values or probability distributions for a variety of parameters used in estimating internal doses from radioactive fallout due to ingestion of food. Parameters include those needed to assess the interception and initial retention of radionuclides by vegetation, translocation of deposited radionuclides to edible plant parts, root uptake by plants, transfer of radionuclides from vegetation into milk and meat, transfer of radionuclides into non-agricultural plants and wildlife, and transfer from food and drinking water to mother's milk (human breast milk). The paper includes discussions of the weathering half-life for contamination on plant surfaces, biological half-lives of organisms, food processing (culinary factors), and contamination of drinking water. As appropriate, and as information exists, parameter values or distributions are specific for elements, chemical forms, plant types, or other relevant characteristics. Information has been obtained from the open literature and from publications of the International Atomic Energy Agency. These values and probability distributions are intended to be generic; they should be reviewed for applicability to a given location, time period, or season of the year, as appropriate. In particular, agricultural practices and dietary habits may vary considerably both with geography and over time in a given location.

Effects of species and geo-information on the 137Cs concentrations in edible wild mushrooms and plants collected by residents after the Fukushima nuclear accident.

After the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP), much of the wild and edible mushrooms and plants in the surrounding areas were contaminated with radiocesium (137Cs). To elucidate their concentration characteristics, we analyzed 137Cs radioactivity data in edible forest products brought in for food inspection by the residents of Kawauchi Village, 12-30 km away from the FDNPP, from 2012 to 2019. A Bayesian model to estimate 137Cs concentration was constructed. Parameters of the normalized concentration of species (NCsp) for mushrooms were similar to those of the same species obtained in a previous study. Although NCsp values were highly varied among species, mycorrhizal mushrooms tended to have high NCsp values, followed by saprotrophic mushrooms, and wild edible plants values were low. Also, half of mycorrhizal mushroom species (8 of 16) showed an increasing trend in concentration with time; however, saprotrophic mushrooms and wild plants generally demonstrated a decreasing trend (22 of 24). The model considering the sub-village location information decreased the error of individual samples by 40% compared to the model not considering any location information, indicating that the detailed geo-information improved estimation accuracy. Our results indicate that the radioactivity data from samples collected by local residents can be used to accurately assess internal exposure to radiation due to self-consumption of contaminated wild mushrooms and plants.

Nutraceuticals as Potential Radionuclide Decorporation Agents.

Exposure of individuals to radioactive material as a result of ingestion of contaminated food and water is an increasing public health concern. Unfortunately, there are limited treatment modalities for dealing with these types of potentially toxic exposures. Recent research suggests that many plant-based nutraceuticals may possess metal-binding properties. This preliminary study investigated the ability of genistein, curcumin, quercetin, and lentinan to bind metals considered internal contamination risks, namely cesium, uranium, cobalt, and strontium, in a variety of matrices. The efficacy of these nutraceuticals in protecting cultured cells from metal-induced toxicity was also explored. Results showed that none of the compounds bound cesium or strontium. However, genistein, curcumin, and quercetin could bind uranium. Curcumin and quercetin also bound cobalt and could also protect cultured cells from metal-induced cytotoxicity. Lentinan did not bind any of the metals tested. Metal binding was also pH dependent, with no binding observed at lower pH values. This project showed that nutraceuticals could function as chelators for metals considered internal radionuclide contamination hazards. Further investigations are required in order to determine whether these compounds will become a new nontoxic arsenal of pharmaceutical compounds with which to treat radionuclide contamination.

Estimation of radiation dose from ingested tritium in humans by administration of deuterium-labelled compounds and food.

Radiation doses from organically bound tritium (OBT) in foods have been a major concern near nuclear facilities. The current dose coefficient for OBT is calculated using a standard model from the International Commission on Radiological Protection, in which some biokinetic values are not based on human metabolic data. Here, the biokinetics of ingested OBT, and radiation doses from them, were estimated by administering labelled compounds and foods to volunteers, using a deuterium (D) tracer as a substitute for tritium. After the administration of D-labelled glucose, alanine, palmitic acid, or soybean, the D/H ratios in urine were measured for up to 119 days, and the biokinetic parameter values were determined for OBT metabolism. The slow degradation rates of OBT could not be obtained, in many volunteers administered glucose and alanine. The estimated committed effective dose for 1 Bq of tritium in palmitic acid varied from 3.2 × 10-11 to 3.5 × 10-10 Sv Bq-1 among volunteers and, for those administered soybean, it varied from 1.9 × 10-11 to 1.8 × 10-10 Sv Bq-1. These results suggest that OBT, present in some ingested ingredients, gives higher doses than the current dose coefficient value of 4.2 × 10-11 Sv Bq-1.

Determination of Organically Bound Tritium (OBT) Concentration in Fish by Thermal Oxidation and Liquid Scintillation Counting Method.

Effluents containing tritium (H) dispersed into the fresh water or marine environment from nuclear facilities can be taken up by biota. Aquatic and marine organisms are among the important pathways through which tritium can enter into the human body, and hence, assessment of the extent of pollution of these ecosystems is very important for radiation dose assessments. Tritium present in environmental matrices can be classified as tissue-free water tritium (TFWT) and organically bound tritium (OBT). Optimization of a method for the determination of OBT in fish, based on thermal oxidation of the sample, is discussed. Samples were subjected to thermal oxidation in a pyrolyser system, and the water produced from the combustion was analyzed by liquid scintillation spectrometry. Results show that a maximum of ~2 g of processed fish sample can be combusted efficiently in the pyrolyser. Using this method, a recovery of 84% was achieved, and minimum detectable activity (MDA) for the method was determined to be 8.5 Bq kg (sample weight = 2 g, counting time = 30,000 s, and detection efficiency = 20%).

Thyroid Doses to French Polynesians Resulting from Atmospheric Nuclear Weapons Tests: Estimates Based on Radiation Measurements and Population Lifestyle Data.

Thyroid doses were estimated for the subjects of a population-based case-control study of thyroid cancer in a population exposed to fallout after atmospheric nuclear weapons tests conducted in French Polynesia between 1966 and 1974. Thyroid doses due to (1) intake of I and of short-lived radioiodine isotopes (I, I, I) and Te, (2) external irradiation from gamma-emitting radionuclides deposited on the ground, and (3) ingestion of long-lived Cs with foodstuffs were reconstructed for each study subject. The dosimetry model that had been used in 2008 in Phase I of the study was substantially improved with (1) results of radiation monitoring of the environment and foodstuffs, which became available in 2013 for public access, and (2) historical data on population lifestyle related to the period of the tests, which were collected in 2016-2017 using focus-group discussions and key informant interviews. The mean thyroid dose among the study subjects was found to be around 5 mGy while the highest dose was estimated to be around 36 mGy. Doses from I intake ranged up to 27 mGy, while those from intake of short-lived iodine isotopes (I, I, I) and Te ranged up to 14 mGy. Thyroid doses from external exposure ranged up to 6 mGy, and those from internal exposure due to Cs ingestion did not exceed 1 mGy. Intake of I was found to be the main pathway for thyroid exposure accounting for 72% of the total dose. Results of this study are being used to evaluate the risk of thyroid cancer among the subjects of the epidemiologic study of thyroid cancer among French Polynesians.

Estimation of cancer risk due to radiation exposure for some daily consumption of foods.

AIMS: Considering the increasing concern about the cancer risk caused by environmental radiological effects related to the food consumption, the study was carried out evaluate the activity concentrations and cancer risk assessments of 226 Ra,232 Th, and 40 K in 72 food samples collected from different suppliers in Tehran Province of Iran. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The specific activity concentration was determined by means of a high-resolution high-purity germanium gamma-spectroscopy system. The collected various sample groups were wheat, rice, meat, milk, and mushroom. RESULTS: The maximum concentration of 226 Ra and 232 Th was found in the wheat sample, equal to 0.7862 Bq/kg and 0.968 Bq/kg, respectively, whereas for 40 K, it was 598.35 Bq/kg in the milk sample. The annual effective dose rate ranged from 2.47 µSv/y in mushroom to 64.66 µSv/y in rice. The average excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR) was varied from 1.60 × 10-5 for mushroom to 4.20 × 10-4 for milk, with the total ELCR value from main daily diets 1.37 × 10-3, which was a little more than the acceptable ELCR limit of 10-3. CONCLUSIONS: The ELCR due to five main daily diets was a little more than the acceptable ELCR limit of 10-3 for radiological risk in general.

COMPREHENSIVE RADIOLOGICAL AND HYGIENIC MONITORING OF PARTICULAR SETTLEMENTS OF KYIV REGION IN 2019. / KOMPLEKSNYI RADIATsIINO/GIGIIeNIChNYI MONITORYNG OKREMYKh NASELENYKh PUNKTIV KYÏVS'KOÏ OBLASTI U 2019 ROTsI.

OBJECTIVE: to identificate the main factors and assess their impact on the formation of radiation doses to the population of radioactively contaminated areas of Kyiv region at the current stage of the accident based on complexradiation and hygienic monitoring in the reference settlements in 2019. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Comprehensive radiological and hygienic monitoring was carried out in eight settlementsof Kyiv region - villages of Ragivka, Lygovyky, Mar'yanivka, Zelena Poliana of Polis'kyi district and villages ofHornostaipil, Dytiatky , Pisky, Karpylivka of Ivankiv district. The content of incorporated 137Cs was determined withdirect measurement on whole body counters (WBC) samples of basic foodstuffs were collected to determine the content of radionuclides 90Sr and 137Cs, residents were interviewed about the levels of consumption of these products,and work was performed to estimate external radiation doses. Mathematical, dosimetric, radiochemical methods areused in the work. RESULTS: There was a further decrease in annual doses of internal radiation in the surveyed settlements in 1.3 times, bothin Polis'kyi district (0.041 mSv · year-1 in 2016, 0.030 mSv · year-1 in 2019) and in Ivankiv district (0.023 mSv · year-1in 2016, 0.018 mSv · year-1 in 2019). It is possible to state a slowdown in the reduction of radiation doses comparedto previous years: from 2010 to 2013, the annual doses of internal radiation in the surveyed settlements decreasedby 1.8-2.4 times, from 2013 to 2016 - by 2.3-3.6 times. The content of 137Cs and 90Sr in milk and potatoes in theinspected settlements is lower than the permissible level of the Hygienic Standard HS 6.6.1.1-130-2006 and the useof these foods can not significantly affect the formation of the internal radiation dose. The content of 90Sr in milksamples in the settlements of Ivankiv district is in the range of 2.1-9.9 Bq · kg-1 (in 2016: 1.3-7.4 Bq · kg-1), whichdoes not exceed the permissible level of 20 Bq · kg-1, but due to the dynamics needs further monitoring. The content of 137Cs in samples of dried mushrooms collected from residents of Kyiv region in 2019, as in previous years, issignificantly (up to 100 times) higher than permissible level, and has a high uncertainty - from 1.4 kBq · kg-1 to223.7 kBq · kg-1. CONCLUSIONS: It is established that the annual effective radiation doses of the population in the surveyed settlements in the current year are formed due to internal radiation doses that do not exceed 0.46 mSv · year-1 in Ivankivdistrict and 0.51 mSv · year-1 in Polis'kyi district, which below the RCT criterion 1 mSv · year-1. The main factor that forms the dose of internal radiation of the residents of the surveyed state of emergency of Kyiv region is the intake of 137Cs in the body with forest products, primarily mushrooms.

INTEGRATED ASSESSMENT OF THE DEMOGRAPHIC STATE OF RADIOLOGICALLY CONTAMINATED AREAS OF UKRAINE. / INTEGRAL'NE OTsINIuVANNIa DEMOGRAFIChNOGO STANU RADIOAKTYVNO ZABRUDNENYKh TERYTORII UKRAÏNY.

OBJECTIVE: Basing on the integrated assessment to conduct a comparative statistical analysis as of 2016 of thedemographic state of the areas of Ukraine that are recognized as those with the most intensive radiological con-tamination due to the Chornobyl NPP accident.Study object. The population of the regions of Ukraine with the most intensive radiological contamination due tothe Chornobyl NPP accident and the population of Ukraine as a whole (control). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The data of the State Statistics Service of Ukraine and its regional offices were used asinformation base in this study. Integrated assessment of the demographic situation in a oblast was conducted basedon the calculations of the territorial indices and multidimensional average variable on each region. Demographic,mathematical-statistical, graphic, software-technological methods were used in this study. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Radiologically contaminated regions of Ukraine differ significantly: both by the number ofpopulation (from 5800 people in the Poliske region to 105100 people in the Sarny region), and by the variability inthemedical and demographic indicators; bothone from another and compared to data for the country.The results of the calculations of 10 medical and demographic («positive¼ and «negative¼) territorial indices andmultidimensional average variable (P) as integrative assessment of the demographic state have revealed that thebest indicators of the demographic situation in 2016 were in Rokytne (P = 1.249) and Sarny (P = 1.112) regions ofthe Rivne oblast, while the worse indicators were in Kozelets (P = 0.363) and Ripky regions of the Chernihiv oblast.The demographic situation of the Olevsk region of the Zhytomyr oblast (P = 0.947)was the closest to the nationalaverage one. Poliske, Narodychi, Ovruch, Ivankiv and Korosten regions take intermediate position as comparedto theregions of Rivne and Chernihiv oblasts (P = 0.618-0.742).

RECONSTRUCTION OF THE RADIOACTIVE CONTAMINATION OF THE TERRITORY OF UKRAINE BY IODINE-131 DURING INITIAL PERIOD OF THE CHORNOBYL ACCIDENT USING THE RESULTS FROM NUMERICAL MODEL WRF. / REKONSTRUKTsIIa RADIOAKTYVNOGO ZABRUDNENNIa TERYTORIÏ UKRAÏNY IODOM-131 V POChATKOVYI PERIOD ChORNOBYL'S'KOÏ AVARIÏ Z VYKORYSTANNIaM ChYSEL'NOÏ MODELI WRF.

OBJECTIVE: To reconstruct the 131I activity concentrations in air and 131I ground deposition densities from 26 April to7 May 1986 from the radioactivity release after the Chornobyl accident in the settlements of Ukraine using themesoscale radionuclides atmospheric transport model LEDI and meteorological information from the numericalweather forecast model WRF and to compare the obtained results with those calculated previously as well as withavailable measurements of 131I activity in soil.Object of research: the near-ground layer of the atmosphere and the surface of the territory of Ukraine radioactively contaminated as a result of the Chornobyl accident.Materials and methods of research. The dispersion of 131I in the atmosphere and deposition on the ground surfacein Ukraine were calculated using the Lagrangian-Eulerian diffusion model LEDI. The detailed fields of meteorological parameters calculated using the mesoscale weather forecast model WRF, which was adapted for the territory ofUkraine, were used as input data for the LEDI model. RESULTS: The 131I daily-average activity concentrations in the surface air and 131I daily ground deposition densitiesfrom 26 April to 7 May 1986 were calculated using the up-to-date mesoscale model of numerical weather forecastWRF for 30,352 settlements in entire Ukraine, including 1,263 settlements in Kyiv, 1,717 - in Zhytomyr and 1,570 -in Chernihiv Oblasts. CONCLUSIONS: The method of mathematical modeling of the atmospheric transport of the radionuclides is combination with the up-to-date mesoscale model of numerical weather forecast WRF is a useful tool for reconstruction ofradioactive contamination of the air and the ground surface after the Chornobyl accident. Calculated in this study131I activity concentrations in air and 131I ground deposition densities were used to reconstruct the thyroid doses dueto 131I intake to the population of Ukraine.

PSYCHOLOGICAL STATE AND TYPOLOGICAL PERSONALITY FEATURES OF CHILDREN RESIDENTS OF RADIOACTIVELY CONTAMINATED TERRITORIES IN THE REMOTE PERIOD OF CHORNOBYL СATASTROPHE. / PSYKhOLOGIChNYI STAN TA TYPOLOGIChNI RYSY OSOBYSTOSTI DITEI ­ MEShKANTsIV RADIOAKTYVNO ZABRUDNENYKh TERYTORII U VIDDALENYI PERIOD ChORNOBYL'S'KOÏ KATASTROFY.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the psycho-emotional state of children-residents of radioactively contaminated territoriesand to characterize the typological features of their personality in the remote period of the Chornobyl catastrophe. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Psycho-emotional status and typological personality traits were determined in 96 childrenaged 12 to 17 years, who resided in radioactively contaminated territories with a soil contamination density of 137Csabove 185 kBq/m-2, and were admitted for examination and treatment in the pediatric departments of the NRCRMclinic. Psycho-emotional state of children was determined using the test «non-existent animal¼, which was assessedin points on symptom complexes: anxiety, aggression and neuro-mental exhaustion. The questionnaire of A. Bassand A. Darkey was used to discriminate various aspects of the aggression symptom complex. In all children, the content of incorporated 137Cs was determined using a whole body counter. RESULTS: The results of the evaluation of the psycho-emotional state of children - residents of radioactively contaminated territories in the remote period of the Chornobyl catastrophe according to the test «non-existent animal¼showed, that the state of anxiety was registered in all 96 children (100 %); state of aggression - in 60 children(62.5 %); exhaustion - in 57 children (59.37 %). Depending on the prevalence of the one or another symptom complexes, or their combination, 5 groups of observations were formed and the personality traits of children characteristic for each group were determined. In the largest group I with the predominance of anxiety symptom complex(45,83 % of the total sample) were noted: stable tendency to perceive many life-threatening situations and environment, pessimistic assessment of one's own life perspective, constant high level of anxiety. Girls were in majorityin this group. For group II, which showed a combination of high rates of two symptom complexes - anxiety andaggression (18.75 % of the total sample), the characteristic personality traits were a constant high level of emotional tension, a tendency to perceive the environment with distrust and a sense of guilt that arouses. In group IIIof children (14.58 % of the total sample), the symptom complex of aggression with feelings of alienation, isolationand hostile attitude towards the environment prevailed. Group IV of children (16.67 % of the total sample), with thecombination of signs of exhaustion and anxiety, had poor ability to concentrate, memory and attention deficit disorders, decreased learning ability, constant fatigue and irritability, apathy, inactivity, and inertia. Group V (only 4.17 %of the total sample) was characterized by low (less than 2 points) indices of all three symptom complexes. Girls weremuch more prone to anxiety, boys were more aggressive, sometimes accompanied by anxiety. Symptom complex ofexhaustion was determined with the same frequency in both boys and girls. CONCLUSION: Assessment of psycho-emotional sphere of children - residents of radioactively contaminated territories in the remote period of the Chornobyl catastrophe according to the «non-existent animal¼ test revealed in of100 % of children the presence of anxiety signs, in the vast majority - the state of aggression and exhaustion. Therewere no probable associations between the content of incorporated 137Cs (in the range from 111 to 7024 Bq) and thepeculiarities of the psycho-emotional state of children.

Radiocesium transfer rates among pigs fed haylage contaminated with low levels of cesium at two differentiation stages.

The objective of this study was to determine the radiocesium transfer rates of pigs fed haylage contaminated with low levels of cesium at different growth stages. We measured the body weight of juvenile and adult pigs during the treatment period to confirm their health status. We also performed pig blood hematologic and biochemical analyses at both growth stages. To our knowledge, this is the first study to report pig radiocesium transfer coefficient rates after 1 month of chronic oral treatment, which is the period assumed to be required for body equilibrium under a diet of radiocesium-contaminated food. The results showed higher radiocesium retention rates in the kidneys, liver, spleen, genitals, psoas major, bladder, thyroid, and urine than in the blood and bone (tibia and femur) of pigs at both growth stages. The radiocesium retention levels were generally higher in juvenile pigs than in adult pigs, with the highest transfer coefficient ratio in the kidneys (16.2%).

The transfer of 241Am and 137Cs to the tissues of broilers' organs.

Data on the transfer of artificial radionuclides from the environment to the food supply is necessary for internal dose assessment. There is a necessity for expanding and improving the available information on these factors in order to make better dose models for specific scenarios. This paper describes the results of a field experiment with broiler chickens on the transfer factor (Ff) and concentration ratio (CR) for the long-term intake of 241Am and 137Cs with grass meal and soil. The broilers were divided into two groups, each group had nine subgroups and each subgroup had three broilers. The radionuclide concentrations in the feed and the thigh muscle, thigh bone, and liver of 54 broilers divided between the grass meal and soil groups were evaluated by gamma spectrometry for 241Am and 137Cs. The duration of feeding with "contaminated" sources ranged between 1-70 days. The equilibrium stage of 241Am in muscle and bone occurs on the 1st and 40th day, respectively; for 137Cs in muscle- 30th days of intake and for liver and bone- 7th days. For 241Am, the liver did not reach equilibrium stage during the 70 days of intake. Ff of 137Cs in the "forage-muscle" and "soil-muscle" systems were determined as 1.9±0.3 and 0.18±0.05; Ff of 241Am in the "soil-muscle" system was-7.5×10-5.

Radiocesium concentrations in wild boars captured within 20 km of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.

The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident in 2011 released large amounts of artificial radioactive substances into the environment. In this study, we measured the concentration of radiocesium (134Cs + 137Cs) in 213 muscle samples from wild boars (Sus scrofa) captured in Tomioka town, which is located within 20 km of the FDNPP. The results showed that 210 (98.6%) muscle samples still exceeded the regulatory radiocesium limit (100 Bq/kg) for general foods. Radiocesium (134Cs + 137Cs) levels ranged from 87.1-8,120 Bq/kg fresh mass (FM), with a median concentration of 450 Bq/kg FM. The median committed effective dose was estimated to be 0.070-0.26 µSv/day for females and 0.062-0.30 µSv/day for males. The committed effective dose for one-time ingestion of wild boar meat could be considered extremely low for residents in Tomioka. The relatively high levels of radioactivity found in this study suggest that the high variability of food sources may have led to the large accumulation of radioactive substances. These results suggest that comprehensive long-term monitoring is needed to identify risk factors affecting recovery from a nuclear disaster.

Japanese population dose from natural radiation.

The radiation doses from natural radiation sources in Japan are reviewed using the latest knowledge. The United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) and the Nuclear Safety Research Association report the annual effective doses from cosmic rays, terrestrial radiation, inhalation, and ingestion as natural sources. In this paper, the total annual effective dose from cosmic-ray exposure is evaluated as 0.29 mSv. The arithmetic mean of the annual effective dose from external exposure to terrestrial radiation is 0.33 mSv for the Japanese population using the data of nationwide surveys by the National Institute of Radiological Sciences. Previously in Japan, although three different groups have conducted nationwide indoor radon surveys using passive-type radon monitors, to date only the Japan Chemical Analysis Center (JCAC) has performed a nationwide radon survey using a unified method for radon measurements conducted indoor, outdoor, and in the workplace. Consequently, the JCAC results are used for the annual effective dose from radon and that for radon inhalation is estimated as 0.50 mSv using a current dose conversion factor. In this paper, UNSCEAR values are used for the mean indoor and outdoor thoron-progeny concentrations, and the annual effective dose from thoron is reported as 0.09 mSv. Thus, the annual effective dose from radon and thoron inhalation is 0.59 mSv. From a JCAC large-scale survey of foodstuffs, the committed effective dose from the main radionuclides in dietary intake is 0.99 mSv. Finally, the Japanese population dose from natural radiation is given as 2.2 mSv, which is similar to the reported global average of 2.4 mSv.

Long term investigation of 137Cs in chicken meat and eggs from northwest Croatia.

This paper presents the results of long-term investigations of 137Cs activity concentrations in chicken meat and eggs from northwest Croatia for the period 1987-2018. The research has been done as a part of monitoring program of radioactive contamination in Croatia. The highest activity concentrations in both of these foodstuffs were measured in 1987 and have been decreasing exponentially ever since. The Fukushima-Daiichi accident in 2011 did not cause any increase of 137Cs activity concentrations. The ecological half-life for 137Cs was estimated to be 8.0 and 8.4 years for chicken meat and eggs respectively. The correlation between 137Cs in fallout and chicken meat as well as between 137Cs in fallout and eggs is very good, the respective correlation coefficients being 0.79 and 0.72, indicating that fallout was the main source of 137Cs contamination in both foodstuffs. The estimated effective doses received by adult members of the Croatian population due to the intake of radiocaesium by chicken meat and egg consumption for the overall observed period are very small, 2.0 and 0.6 µSv respectively. Therefore, chicken meat and chicken egg consumption was not a critical pathway for the transfer of radiocaesium to humans.