Radioanalytical models applied to the investigation of caesium signatures in sugar samples

Abstract

The presence of anthropogenic radioisotopes in the environment may be due to inappropriate discards, nuclear tests and accidents, which requires and justifies constant monitoring to ensure the safety of nuclear applications. The radiometric analysis is a necessary condition for exporting sugar for world consumption. The investigation of 134Cs and 137Cs in a sugar matrix is required to predict radiometric anomalies. This work aimed to standardise a semi-empirical radiometric model to characterise and quantify caesium isotopes in sugar. The research was carried out with high-resolution gamma spectrometry, a non-destructive method. The results were applied to the analysis of different types of sugar for export. The models allowed us to determine with excellent resolution the minimum quantifiable activities of 0.74 Bq kg−1 and 0.48 Bq kg−1 for 134Cs and 137Cs, respectively, which are lower than 600 Bq kg−1, reference values adopted by the EU for isotopes in food.