Fallout 3H ingestion in Akita, Japan

To study fallout 3H ingestion in Japan, 16 separate food group samples were collected from Akita during 1985. The 3H concentration in free water and that in a tissue-bound form were determined separately. The average 3H concentration in the tissue-bound form was 2.2 Bq L-1, 1.7 times higher than in the free water of the food. The ingestions of 3H in the tissue-bound form and as free water in the diet were 0.60 Bq d-1 and 1.0 Bq d-1, respectively. Cereals represented the food group that contributed the most to the ingestion of tissue-bound 3H. Total 3H ingestion was estimated to be 4.1 Bq d-1. The contribution of the tissue-bound form to the total ingestion was 15%, considerably lower than reported for Italian diets. The ratio of 3H ingestion in the tissue-bound form to the free water form in the diet was similar to the ratio reported for New York City.