Content of Radiocaesium in Imported Fruits Sold on the Bulgarian Market

Abstract

Monitoring of radiocaesium content in imported cultivated and forest fruits for the production of foods intended for the Bulgarian market and for export was carried out in the period 2021-2022. The specific activity of the radionuclide determined in all samples was below the maximum permissible value of 600 Bq/kg, specified in EU regulation 2020/1158, being in the cultivated fruits below the minimum detectable activity (MDA). In forest fruits, the highest content of radiocaesium was measured in bilberries, followed by cranberries and the wild blackberries. Relatively higher values of the specific activity of Cs-137 were measured in bilberry samples imported from Ukraine, Belarus and Poland.

Keywords

• radiocaesium
• radioactivity of berries