Assessment of 210Po in Italian diet

This research was dedicated to the study, in the Italian daily diet, of the background activity concentration of 210Po, a radionuclide with a high radiotoxicity. 210Po was determined by alpha spectrometry. For food products of vegetable origin the 210Po activity concentration follows the trend: leafy vegetable > flour > rice > fruits > pasta > other vegetable > fruit vegetable; for those of animal origin: eggs > cheese > milk. The 210Po activity concentration was also compared with that found by the same authors in meat, sea food, water and beverages in a previous study. The committed effective dose to individuals of three population groups (infants, children and adults) were 379.28, 221.91 and 151.44 microSv y-1 respectively. The intake the foods of marine origin contributes about 67% of the total dose due to 210Po ingestion. The effective dose, from 210Po ingested by total die,t accounts for only 5-12% of the natural radiation exposure in Italy.