Po-210 as an Indicator of Safe Radiation Levels in Cockles (Anadara granosa) in Peninsular Malaysia

oleh: Nurhanisah Zakri, Che Abd Rahim Mohamed

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: Thai Society of Higher Eduction Institutes on Environment 2016-01-01

Deskripsi

Activities of Po-210 in cockles Anadara granosa around Peninsular Malaysia have been determined by Alpha Spectrometry using a radiochemical separation technique. The results showed that Po-210 activity distribution varies according to sampling sites. The range of activity was 2.61 ± 1.50 to 309 ± 26 Bq/kg. The lowest mean was recorded from Kuala Selangor and the highest mean was from Mersing. The activity pattern shown by this radionuclide was a decrease with an increase in cockles mass. The activity was higher in cockles of smaller sizes than the larger sized cockles, a pattern attributed to their digestion and metabolism system. The activity intake and effective dose was found to be less than international guidelines and seafood intake was considered safe for human consumption. These findings suggest that regular monitoring should be carried out to help reduce morbidity and mortality among humans as a result of occasional seafood consumption.