Natural radioactivity in the Mussel Mytilus Galloprovincialis derived from the Central Adriatic Sea (Italy)

The aim of this study was to determine background levels of natural radionuclides such as uranium isotopes, 210Pb, 210Po and 40K in mussel Mytilus Galloprovincialis, collected in the central Adriatic Sea along the Marche region. This mussel is an invasive warm water species largely consumed by the local population and also exported to different countries. Among natural radionuclides, alpha emitters are considered responsible for a significant proportion of the radiation exposure of humans to background radiation, particularly through food consumption. The sampling was done in the different seasons of the year in order to evaluate the spatial and temporal distribution of the natural radioactivity and to compare the data with those of other authors. The arithmetical mean of activity concentration was 2.34 ± 0.61 and 149 ± 58 Bq kg-1 dry for total uranium and 210Po respectively. All results show that, in the mussels, the concentration trend of the considered radionuclides is the following: 40K > 210Po >> 210Pb > uranium isotopes. The assessment of 210Po concentrations in marine organisms is very important for estimating the intake levels of this radionuclide by consuming of marine products as mussels and as well as for calculating the radiation doses received by the Central Italian population due to the natural radiation from marine food chain. The mean individual dose from 210Po through ingestion of mussels is in the range 1.65 10-2 - 9.20 10-2 mSv y-1. The dose from uranium isotopes, 40K and 210Pb was negligible.