Intake of 226Ra, 210Pb and 210Po with food in Poland

Intake with food and water of 226Ra, 210Pb and 210Po was determined for an adult population in regions of central, northern and northeastern Poland. The content of radionuclides was determined in the daily diet and, in the central region, also in foodstuffs and drinking water. The annual intake with foodstuffs was estimated on the basis of their average annual consumption. The 226Ra intake in northeastern Poland was approximately 17% higher than the overall average, correlating well with the higher concentration of this radionuclide in the soil. The 210Po/210Pb ratio was close to unity in the continental regions, whereas at the Baltic Sea coast it was approximately 1.5. The latter value can be ascribed to a larger consumption of fish for which the 210Po/210Pb ratio was found to be approximately 10. In central Poland the largest intake of 226Ra was with flour and vegetables (contribution approx. 60%), the largest intake of 210Pb was with flour and meat (approx. 50%) and the largest intake of 210Po was with fish (approx. 34%). From the intake and dose coefficient, annual effective doses were calculated. The dose from 210Pb and 210Po was approx. 54 mu Sv year-1, and the dose from 226Ra was approx. 4 mu Sv year-1.