Assessment of Radioactivity Level in the Terrestrial and Marine Organisms in Yangjiang and Its Adjacent Areas (China).

Dongmei Li,Feng Zhao,Peng Zhou,Zhongchen Jiang,Li Zhao

doi:10.3390/ijerph18168767

Abstract

In order to assess the radioactive level in the terrestrial and marine organisms in Yangjiang and the adjacent areas, 90Sr, gross beta and gamma-emitting radionuclides (238U, 226Ra, 228Th, 226Ra, 40K, 137Cs, 51Cr, 55Fe, 54Mn, 58Co, 60Co and 65Zn) were analyzed from 2011 to 2012. The annual effective doses were estimated in the high natural radioactive background areas in Yangjiang (HBRAYJ). The specific activities of 238U, 228Th, 226Ra, 40K and 137Cs in all organisms were <0.05–5.20, 0.30–14.50, 0.11–3.58, 11.1–148.0 and <0.003–0.088 Bq/kg, whilst 51Cr, 55Fe, 54Mn, 58Co, 60Co, 65Zn and 110mAg were below the minimum detectable activity. 90Sr and gross beta specific activities were 20.0–143.0 and 0.021–0.316 Bq/kg. Results show that 228Th was significantly higher than 238U and 226Ra of natural U series in organisms due to the rich-Th soils in the HBRAYJ; 228Th, 226Ra, 40K, 137Cs and 90Sr were greatly lower than the limited concentrations in Chinese foods. The internal dose mainly contributes to natural 40K, 226Ra and 228Th. It is useful to provide some basic data and assess the radiological risk from the HBRAYJ and Yangjiang nuclear power plants in future.

Highlights

Yangjiang is one of the famous areas with high natural radioactive background areas (HBRAYJ) in China, where the radiation level is about three times more than that in its adjacent normal background radiation areas (CA)
Yangjiang nuclear power plants (i.e., YJNPP) base is situated at the eastern coast in Dongping in Yangjiang, where six nuclear power units (6 × 1080 MW)
The YJNPP site is more than 30 km away from the high natural radioactive background areas in Yangjiang (HBRAYJ), so that the natural radioactivity in the YJNPP base is generally at the normal background level [5]

Summary

Introduction

Yangjiang is one of the famous areas with high natural radioactive background areas (HBRAYJ) in China, where the radiation level is about three times more than that in its adjacent normal background radiation areas (CA). The YJNPP site is more than 30 km away from the HBRAYJ, so that the natural radioactivity in the YJNPP base is generally at the normal background level [5]. The No. nuclear power unit began to be built on 26 September 2007 and came into operation on 26 March 2014. Six nuclear power units had been put into commercial operation until 24 July 2019. The low-level anthropogenic radioactive liquid and gas from the YJNPP normal operation maybe influence directly and/or indirectly the surrounding terrestrial and marine environment. Some radionuclides (e.g., 3 H in water and gamma-emitting radionuclides in marine sediments) and radiation effect have been studied near YJNPP [5,6,7]

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion