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 vegetables > 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 doses to individuals of three population groups (infants, children and adults) were 379, 222 and 151 μSv y−1, respectively. The intake of foods of marine origin contributed about 67% of the total dose due to 210Po ingestion. The effective dose, from 210Po ingested by total diet, accounts for only 5–12% of the natural radiation exposure in Italy.