Investigation of accumulation of radionuclides in different tissues of Whiting fish (Merlangius merlangus euxinus Nordmann, 1840) caught on the coasts of Rize in the eastern Black Sea region of Turkey

Abstract

In this study, the levels of radioactivity in the muscle, liver, gonad, and gill tissues of the Whiting fish caught from Rize coast of the Black Sea during the winter season in 2017 were determined using gamma spectrometry. Data obtained from the fish showed that the mean activity concentrations in all tissues for males were found to be 4.57 Bq kg−1 for 226Ra, 2.79 Bq kg−1 for 232Th, 308.56 Bq kg−1 for 40K, and 3.38 Bq kg−1 for 137Cs, respectively. The mean activity concentrations in all tissues for females were found to be 2.56 Bq kg−1 for 226Ra, 2.28 Bq kg−1 for 232Th, 277.90 Bq kg−1 for 40K, and 2.87 Bq kg−1 for 137Cs, respectively. Differences in 226Ra, 232Th, 40K, and 137Cs concentrations for all tissues were not statistically significant between males and females (p > 0.05). Furthermore, radiological indices such as a daily intake dose of per capita radioactivity, annual committed effective dose, and lifetime cancer risk values due to the intake of 226Ra, 232Th, 40K, and 137Cs resulting from the consumption of Whiting muscle were calculated and compared with international data. Based on the recommended annual effective dose values, the annual effective dose values for 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K radionuclides are within the limit value given by UNSCEAR. The lifetime cancer risk values calculated from the consumption of muscle tissue of both the female and male Whiting samples were found to be below the acceptable limit value less than 10−3.