TO THE QUESTION OF RADIATION SAFETY: STUDY OF SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES OF STRONTIUM-90 AND CESIUM-137 IN SELECTED BABY FOOD PRODUCTS

Abstract

Background. Baby food products contain the necessary components for life and elements that are unsafe for health, particularly the radioactive isotopes of strontium-90 and cesium-137. Radiation from isotopes ingested at such an early age can lead to irreversible damage to organs and tissues, negatively affecting a person’s later life. Materials and methods. As an object of research, we selected specialized ready-to-eat baby food products from canned fish to fruit and milk purees sold and produced in the Republic. We analyze baby food products for compliance with the specific activity indicators of strontium-90 and cesium-137 with the internal hygienic standard of the Republic of Belarus GN 10-117-99 and the technical regulation of the Customs Union «On food safety» (TR TS 021/2011). We study the specific activities of cesium-137 and strontium-90 using RKG-AT1320 and MSK-AT1315, respectively. In addition, we undertake statistical analysis using the Statistica package, where we determine the coefficient of variation of an indicator within a product and the variance of the available values. Results. In 14 types of baby food, we found the following features: the specific activities of cesium-137 varied from 1,2 Bq/kg in Beef Puree to 7,0 in Peach Puree, which, in our opinion, is due to a decrease in the content of radionuclide during its migration in food chains: plant → animal, as well as technological features of product preparation. Specific activities of strontium-90 varied from 1 Bq/kg in Banana and Strawberry Puree with Cream to 1,85 Bq/kg in Reduced Apple-Rosehip Juice. We also noted that within the species «Puree of banana and strawberry with a cream», the values also change in a wide range for the specific activity of strontium-90 from 1 Bq/kg to 1.8 Bq/kg. Errors in the determination procedure can explain this fact since the product is thermally concentrated. Statistical analysis showed that the smallest coefficient of variation was in «Prune puree» – 3,18%, and the highest in «Salmon puree» – 75%. The high coefficient of variation in «Salmon puree» is due to the diversity of the fodder base for salmon. On the other hand, the low value of the coefficient of variation in «Prune puree» is caused by the uniformity of the growing conditions of prunes. Conclusion. The analyzed specialized baby food products comply with the republican normative act GN 10-117-99 and the EAEU standard TR CU 021/2011.

Keywords

• baby food
• radiological condition
• canned food
• puree
• juice
• fruit drink