THE IMPACT OF INCREASED NATURAL BACKGROUND OF SOIL ON THE ANIMAL PRODUCTION OF RUMINANTS IN THE REGION LIVNO

In this paper, the impact of increased levels of uranium and radium in soil on the levels of activity and radiation-hygienic validity of animal products of ruminants was investigated.Region around Livno town is placed on coal layer with the in creased levels of uranium and radium compared with other coals used in Bosnia and Herzegovina. As a result of mixing between coal matrix and soil, in creased value of average absorbed dose rate at 1 m above the ground (144 nGy h-1) was measured. The highest average value of 238U and 226Ra in the samples of animal products of ruminants was measured in the samples of sheep cheese (0.070 Bq kg-1 for 238U and 0.207 Bq kg-1 for 226Ra). The levels of these two radionuclides in the rest of animal product of ruminants were aproximatelly similar and ranged 0.016–0.046 Bq kg-1 for 238U and 0.028–0.080 Bq kg-1 for 226Ra. Levels of 40K were in the range of average values for animal products (31.2–86.4 Bq kg-1). Calculated annual effective dose by ingestion of the animal products of ruminants were approximatelly 0.064 mSv with the highest dose contribution of 40K (96.4%). On the base of obtained results, animal products of ruminants produced in observed region, can be considered as valid for human consumption from radiation-hygienic aspect.