Nuclear Technology and Radiation Protection (Jan 2012)

Radioactive contamination of food chain around coal mine and coal-fired power stations

  • Vitorović Gordana S.,
  • Mitrović Branislava M.,
  • Andrić Velibor Đ.,
  • Stojanović Mirjana D.,
  • Lazarević-Macanović Mirjana V.,
  • Vitorović Duško P.

DOI
https://doi.org/10.2298/NTRP1204388V
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 27, no. 4
pp. 388 – 391

Abstract

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The main aim of this study was to investigate the impact of the coal mine in Lazarevac, and the coal-fired power stations in Obrenovac, on the activity concentrations of radionuclides 40K, 238U, 232Th, and 137Cs in some parts of human food chain of people living in the surrounding area. The obtained results showed that natural environment around the examined coal mine and the coal-fired power stations are not significantly affected by the emission of primordial radionuclides. The activity concentrations of 238U in the soil around the open coal mine and the coal processing installations (66.4-76.0 Bq/kg) and in the soil around the coal-fired power stations (55.5-61.2 Bq/kg) were not significantly higher than the average values in Serbia. The significant increase in the activity concentrations of natural radioisotopes in the samples of soil, vegetation, and animal products, was not confirmed. Food of animal origin used in human consumption is safe, i. e. not contaminated by radiation. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. TR 31003 i br. TR34013]

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