Open AccessRadioactive contamination of food chain around coal mine and coal-fired power stations
Author(s) -
Gordana Vitorović,
Branislava M. Mitrović,
Velibor Andrić,
Mirjana Stojanović,
Mirjana Lazarević Macanović,
D. Vitorović
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
nuclear technology and radiation protection
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.31
H-Index - 16
eISSN - 1452-8185
pISSN - 1451-3994
DOI - 10.2298/ntrp1204388v
Subject(s) - radionuclide , environmental science , coal , contamination , coal mining , food chain , radioactive contamination , waste management , mining engineering , environmental chemistry , geology , chemistry , ecology , engineering , biology , paleontology , physics , quantum mechanics
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