Development of analytical methods and survey of radioactive contamination of foodstuffs

After the Chernobyl nuclear accident in 1986, a survey of the radioactive contamination for foodstuffs have been investigated by many countries such as EU, Japan, USA. Concerns about the radioactive contamination of foodstuffs are increased because of the recently special situation (Nuclear test of North Korea). Recently, CODEX added and departmentalised new monitoring radionuclides including alpha and beta radionuclides. The purpose and scope of this study is 1) the development of analysis method for gamma emitting radionuclides(60Co, 103Ru, 106Ru, 144Ce, 192Ir) and tritium radionuclides added at new CODEX version. 2) survey and analysis of radioactive contamination for foodstuffs collected from the open markets (the imported and domestic products including North Korea products). Based on deeply examination of the various international standard procedures, the new method for analyzing gamma emitting radionuclides(60Co, 103Ru, 106Ru, 144Ce, 192Ir) was developed and applied to radioactive analysis of the foodstuffs. 200 foodstuffs were analyzed(150 imported foodstuffs including 11 samples of North Korea product and 50 domestic foodstuffs). The 137Cs radionuclide among the regulation radionuclides(137Cs, 134Cs, 131I) of the Korea food code and the added radionuclides(60Co, 103Ru, 106Ru, 144Ce, 192Ir) at new CODEX version is only detected in the imported foodstuffs but its level is far below the maximum permitted level. This study also developed analytical methods for additional radionuclides(3H) of CODEX. In the normal case, it will be enough only to survey the radioactive contamination for foodstuffs using the regulation radionuclides (137Cs, 134Cs, 131I) of the Korea food code without the analysis of the added radionuclides at new CODEX version. However, when the radioactivity more than the regulation level is measured, the added radionuclides at new CODEX version should be analyzed for the exact dose assessment. The development of the analysis methods on the added radionuclides of the new CODEX version and survey of radioactive contamination for foodstuffs should be continued based on these results. The results obtained here would be used to provide the safety of the public radiation exposure via food chain and to amend the analysis method of food code. The development method based on international standard and results would be also used to submit our national opinion to CODEX based on the scientific data when documents be revised