Measurement of ²³⁸U, ²²⁸Ra, ²²⁶Ra, ⁴⁰K and ¹³⁷Cs in foodstuffs samples collected from coastal areas of China

This study represents a total of 245 samples collected. The activities of ²³⁸U, ²²⁸Ra, ²²⁶Ra, ⁴⁰K and ¹³⁷Cs were determined in samples of vegetables, tea, cereal (rice, wheat and corn), meat, poultry, freshwater product, seafood and seaweed that collected from the 30 km safety zone of the Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) area. All the samples radionuclide activities were quantified by using High Purity Germanium (HPGe) gamma spectrometry. The geometric mean concentrations (Bq kg⁻¹ wet weight) for ²³⁸U, ²²⁸Ra, ²²⁶Ra, ⁴⁰K, and ¹³⁷Cs in all investigated foodstuffs samples, are 0.13, 0.16, 0.11, 68 and 0.02, respectively. The arithmetic mean concentrations (Bq kg⁻¹ wet weight) for ²³⁸U, ²²⁸Ra, ²²⁶Ra, ⁴⁰K, and ¹³⁷Cs in all investigated foodstuffs samples, are 0.34, 0.65, 0.32, 111 and 0.09, respectively. Results of this study were compared with others, the measured values are the same with those of a previous investigation. Radiation doses due to the consumption of these foodstuffs to humans are estimated to comprise around 37–46% of the annual dose limit for public. - Highlights: • Samples collected in China within the 30 km zones around NPPs. • 245 samples were analyzed by using HPGe γ spectrometry. • Natural radionuclides from uranium and thorium series, as well as ⁴⁰K were determined. • Except ¹³⁷Cs no other anthropogenic radionuclides was detected. • Results can serve as baseline values and allow estimating the ingestion dose.