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SECTION 9: ANTHROPOGENIC RADIONUCLIDES: DIETARY INTAKE 

Table of Contents:

  1. U.S. Radiation Data: Dietary Intake
  2. A. Anthropogenic Radioactivity in Domestic Foods
    B. Anthropogenic Radioactivity in Imported Foods
  3. Baseline Data: Riso National Laboratory
  4. Body Burdens
  5. Chernobyl Peak Pulse in U.S.A. Imported Foods
1. U.S. Radiation Data: Dietary Intake


A. Anthropogenic Radioactivity in Domestic Foods 

RAD 9 of this website reviews the impact of weapons tests fallout on the dietary intake of artificial radionuclides of residents of the United States and Denmark for the purpose of providing an additional baseline for interpreting the impact of the Chernobyl accident. As a result of the many nuclear weapons detonations which began in 1950 and reached their peak in 1962 and which included large thermonuclear hydrogen bomb tests, world wide contamination from stratospheric fallout became an object of widespread concern and resulted in a variety of studies of the dietary intake of key fallout nuclides such as strontium 90 and cesium 137. This section summarizes a number of dietary intake studies, including Radiological Health and Data Reports, which became the U.S. Radiation Data Reports in the early 1970's. The second part of this section cites some of the extensive research done by the Riso National Laboratory in Denmark, followed by selected data pertaining to body burdens (radiocesium, etc.), and, finally, the infamous USFDA survey of imported foods that documented a strong pulse of Chernobyl derived radiocesium, and was withheld from public circulation. The 1994 summary of radionuclides in domestic and imported foods, 1987-1992, annotated below (see Cunningham, 1994) contained the first announcement that 40% of targeted imported food samples were contaminated with Chernobyl derived radiocesium.

The public health service initiated its institutional diet sampling program in 1961. The Atomic Energy Commission had already issued summaries of environmental radioactivity data for twenty two AEC installations in Radiological Health Data, beginning in November, 1960. This publication was a response to wide-spread public concern about elevated levels of weapons test derived radioactive contamination of the food supply. The high levels of contamination documented between 1957 and 1964 in the following reports were not reached again until the advent of Chernobyl derived contamination, the effect of which was felt primarily in foreign food supplies and had a minimal impact on domestic food production in the United States. Monitoring was discontinued in 1969 with the suspension of above ground weapons testing but was begun again in 1973 due to concerns about contamination from other sources. The publication of Radiation Data Reports was discontinued in 1976, with a more cursory and less detailed survey continued in the EPA publication Environmental Radiation Data which is still published and cited in several locations in this website (See RAD 10, U.S.A.) The following is a selection of diet surveys in order of their date of publication.

RADNET apologizes for the incomplete bibliographic citations which follow.

United States Atomic Energy Commission. Radiological Health Data. (October 1963). Volume number unavailable. pg. 562.
 
1957 Unknown Milk 131I 990 pCi/l yearly mean
1957 Unknown Milk 140Ba 530 pCi/l yearly mean
1959 St. Louis Milk 137Cs 75 pCi/l yearly mean
1959 Atlanta Milk 137Cs 68 pCi/l yearly mean
1961 Unknown Milk 137Cs 25 pCi/l yearly mean
Nov-Dec 1961 St. Louis Milk 137Cs +80 pCi/l yearly mean
Nov-Dec 1961 St. Louis Milk 90Sr 33.3 pCi/l yearly mean
1962 Unknown Raw milk 137Cs 180 pCi/l yearly mean
1962 Unknown Raw milk 90Sr 45.6 pCi/l yearly mean
1962 Unknown Raw milk 89Sr 335 pCi/l yearly mean
1962 Unknown Raw milk 140Ba 165 pCi/l yearly mean
1962 Unknown Raw milk 131I 535 pCi/l yearly mean

United States Department of Agriculture. (December 1963). Strontium-90 and cesium-137 content of beef and beef products 1960-62. Radiological Health Data. pg. 612-?
 
1960 Tacoma, WA Beef rib meat 137Cs 33 pCi/kg pv
1960 Atlanta, GA Beef rib meat 137Cs 32.4 pCi/kg pv
Division of Radiological Health, Public Health Service. (September 1963). Radionuclides in institutional diet samples. Radiological Health Data. pg. 441-454.
 
Jan-March 1963 U.S.A. Institutional average daily intake 137Cs peak range: 2,320 pCi/day
Jan-March 1963 U.S.A. Institutional average daily intake 137Cs mean range: 249 pCi/day
United States Atomic Energy Commission. (Sept. 1963). Radioactivity in pasteurized milk. Radiological Health Data. pg. 441-454.
 
Aug 1963 Little Rock, Ark. Milk 90Sr peak range: 51 pCi/l
Aug 1963 Network average Milk 90Sr mean range: 25.9 pCi/l
Aug 1963 Boston, MA Milk 137Cs peak range: 380 pCi/l
Aug 1963 Network average Milk 137Cs mean range: 150 pCi/l
United States Atomic Energy Commission. (March 1964). Institutional daily dietary intake. Radiological Health Data. United States Atomic Energy Commission. (1963). Radiological Health Data. pg. 591.
 
April-June 1963 Boston, MA Milk 137Cs 380 pCi/l peak monthly average
April-June 1963 Little Rock, Ark. Milk 90Sr 51 pCi/l peak quarterly average
United States Atomic Energy Commission. (September 1963). Radiological Health Data. pg. 447.
 
ITEM
CESIUM-137 CONCENTRATIONS
TOP OF RANGE
(pCi/kg)
AVERAGE
(pCi/kg)
Vegetables 5, 540 570
Dairy products 1,300 133
Root vegetables 1,030 79
Fruits 553 79
Grain products 625 115
White potatoes 291 38
Coffee 652 431
Sea food 205 50
Spices 15,700 784
Egg substance 27 12
Tea 25,700 1,290

United States Atomic Energy Commission. (January 1965). Radiological Health Data. pg. 33-36.

United States Atomic Energy Commission. (1965). Radiological Health Data.
February 1963 125 pCi/day
March 1963 158 pCi/day
April 1963 159 pCi/day
May 1963 209 pCi/day
June 1963 243 pCi/day
July 1963 324 pCi/day
August 1963 266 pCi/day
September 1963 220 pCi/day
February 1964 370 pCi/day
April 1964 434 pCi/day
May 1964 374 pCi/day
June 1964 339 pCi/day
U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare. (1969). Estimated daily intake of radionuclides in California diets, November-December 1967 and January-September 1968. Radiological Health, Data and Reports. 10(5). pg. 208-211. Magi, A., Snihs, J.O. and Swedjemark, G.A. (1970). Some measurements of radioactivity in Sweden caused by nuclear test explosions. Radiological Health and Data Reports. 11. pg. 487-509.
 
Nationwide averages: Sweden (pCi/kg/yr)
Date Milk Beef Pork Grain Fish from 
salt waters
Fish from
oligotrophic lakes
Reindeer meat
1962 120 380 190 305 100 2,000 17,000
1963 185 750 580 765 100 2,000 17,000
1964 180 760 845 310 100 5,000 39,000
1965 125 470 445 125 100 5,000 20,000
1966 70 230 235 65 100 5,000 14,000
1967 50 105 85 40 100 4,500 20,000
1968 40 95 85 40 100 4,000 17,000
(Dec. 1971). Radiological Health Data and Reports. 12(12). pg. 614-630.
 
Sept 1970-Aug 1971 SE Florida 12 month average in milk 137Cs 68 pCi/l
(Dec. 1971). Estimated daily intake of radionuclides in Connecticut standard diet: January-December 1970. Radiological Health Data and Reports. 12(12) pg. 614-630. (April 1973). Radiation Data and Reports. 14(4). Simpson, R.E., Baratta, E.J. and Jelinek, C.F. (1977). Radionuclides in Foods. Journal of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists. 60. pg. 1364-1368.
 
Radionuclides in total diet: summary of FY 74 data (domestic food supply)
Cesium-137 Strontium-90
Composite Intake av., 
kg/day
Sp. act., 
pCi/kg
Intake, 
pCi/day
Sp. act., 
pCi/kg
Intake, 
pCi/day
Potassium ratio, 
g/kg sample
Dairy products 0.756 7.1 5.4 1.6
Meat, fish, poultry 0.290 3.1 0.9 1.7 0.5 2.4
Cereal 0.369 - 5.3 2.0 1.3
Potatoes 0.204 - 4.9 1.0 5.5
Leafy vegetables 0.059 4.7 0.3 9.9 0.6 1.8
Legumes 0.074 4.3 0.3 10.5 0.8 2.1
Root vegetables 0.034 4.2 0.1 5.4 0.2 1.8
Garden fruits 0.088 5.5 0.5 3.9 0.3 2.0
Fruits 0.217 2.7 0.6 1.5
Oils, fats 0.052 4.8 0.3 6.8 0.4 1.2
Sugars and adjuncts 0.082 4.5 0.4 0.6
Beverages, including drinking water 0.697 3.6 2.5 1.1 0.7 0.6
Total 2.922 4.9 12.9

U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare. (1979). FY 75-FY 76 Radionuclides in Foods. Food and Drug Administration, Washington, D.C.

Cunningham, W.C., Stroube, W.B. and Baratta, E.J. (1989). Radionuclides in domestic and imported foods in the United States, 1983-1986. J. Assoc. Off. Anal. Chem. 72(1). pg. 15-18. Baratta, E.J. and Lumsden, E.M. (1977). Isotopic analysis of Pu in food ash. Laboratory Information Bulletin #2015. U.S. Food & Drug Administration, Washington D.C.

Note: After 1980, the FDA combined their reports of anthropogenic radionuclides in domestic foods (Total Diet Study), reactor area surveys, and imported food surveys in a single, brief report.
 
B. Anthropogenic Radioactivity in Imported Foods

Simpson, R.E., Shuman, F.G.D., Baratta, E.J. and Tanner, J.T. (1981). Survey of radionuclides in foods, 1961-77. Health Physics. 40. pg. 529.
 
Radionuclides in imported foods: Summary of data
Cesium-137 Potassium content, g/kg sample Strontium-90
Sp. act., pCi/kg Intake, pCi/day Sp. act., pCi/kg Intake, pCi/day
Food type Intake kg/day FY 73 FY 74 FY 74 FY 73 FY 74 FY 73 FY 74 FY 74
Tea 296.2 296.2 (231.6) 20.5 19.5 430.3 555.4
Tea Brew 0.002 196.7 172.7 0.35 10.2 15.1 40.3 44.7 0.09
Coffee 99.5 (49.8) 133.7 (73.6) 19.3 18.8 24.3 29.2
Coffee Brew 0.014 40.5 (23.1) 66.2 (40.4) (0.57) 15.8 16.0 14.4 9.8 0.14
Canned fruit 0.073 2.1 4.0 0.29 0.95 1.3 (1.2) 4.6 2.8 (2.6) (0.19)
Cashew nuts 78.3 71.0 (56.8) 6.0 6.1 8.6 5.4
Fish 0.023 70.4 (44.8) 51.2 (16.2) (0.37) 2.9 2.7 1.6 3.3 (2.05) (0.05)
Cocoa, all types 0.003 127.4 (116.8) 131.5 (124.8) (0.37) 16.9 16.1 64.9 61.3 0.18
Cocoa, without chocolate mix 127.4 (121.4) 136.5 (128.9) 17.8 16.6 67.5 64.0 2.24
Cheese 0.032 47.2 (11.8) (0.38) 0.63 0.87 (0.82) 47.7 70.1 2.24
Fresh Fruit 0.108 3.3 3.7 0.60 3.3 (1.7) (0.18)

Stroube, W.B., Jelinek, C.F. and Baratta, E.J. (1985). Survey of radionuclides in foods, 1978-1982. Health Physics. 49(5). pg. 731-735.
 
Commodity FY '79 FY '80 FY '81 FY '82
137 Cs: pCi/kg
Cheese 18 +/- 16 12 +/- 24 21 +/- 35 92 +/- 384
Tea, dry 198 +/- 45 146 +/- 148 245 +/- 189 127 +/- 171
Tea, brew 118 +/- 46 114 +/- 84 171 +/- 300 140 +/- 121
Fish 26 +/- 9 40 +/- 89 179 +/- 580 10 +/- 18
90Sr
Cheese 31 +/- 15 31 +/- 51 34 +/- 50 33 +/- 76
Tea, dry 218 +/- 59 321 +/- 500 268 +/- 276 157 +/- 43
Tea, brew 21 +/- 6 27 +/- 47 21 +/- 15 16 +/- 12
Fish 1.3 +/- 0.6 1.0 +/- 1.8 2.4 +/- 6.0 2.2 +/- 2.4

Cunningham, W.C. and Anderson, D.L. (1994). Radionuclides in domestic and imported foods in the United States, 1987-1992. Journal of AOAC International. 77(6). pg. 1422-1427.


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