Abstract
The determination of radionuclides in human excreta is one method for monitoring the internal exposure of workers handling radioactive material. For the purposes of calculating the internal dose from such exposures one has to consider the natural background caused by the ubiquitous but area-dependent exposure to natural radionuclides. This is especially true of monitoring of the exposure to long-lived natural radionuclides of the 238 U and 232 Th series. To get a first impression of the natural background of some of these radionuclides the amount of various natural radionuclides present in faeces and urine of non-exposed persons from Berlin were measured. In the faecal samples, each collected over a period of 24 h, the following levels were found: uranium ranged from 0.4 to 2.2 μgFd -1 mean 1.4 μg.d -1 226 Ra from 38 to 121 mBq.d -1 , mean 65 mBq.d -1 , 210 Pb from 52 to 185 mBq.d -1 , mean 111 mBq.d -1 , 232 Th from 1.6 to 12 mBq.d -1 , mean 5.4 mBq.d -1 , 230 Th from 1.7 to 16 mBq.d -1 , mean 9.8 mBq.d -1 , and 228 Th ranged from 11 to 39 mBq.d -1 , mean 23 mBq.d -1 . Ten 24 h urine samples were analysed to determine 210 Pb and 210 Po. Only one value for 210 Pb and six for 210 Po were above the detection limit of 6 mBq.l -1 and 2 mBq.l -1 , respectively. The highest value for 210 Po was at 10 mBq.d -1 .
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