Intake of Radionuclides with the Diet in Uranium Mining Areas

To assess the ingestion of radionuclides from uranium mining and milling tailings and other sources related to the legacy of uranium mining, several meals from villages in the region were analyzed. For comparison, it wasanalyzed a meal prepared with non-local products. Local homemade meals contained much higher radioactivity than the comparison meal. The highest concentrations were consistently those of 226Ra followed by uranium and210Po. Ingestion of local foods by the most exposed population group (critical group) might exceed the recommended dose limit for members of the public, i.e., being higher than 1 mSv/year above the natural radioactive background.