Distribution and accumulation of artificial radionuclides in marine products around Korean Peninsula

Abstract We investigated the distributions of the artificial radionuclides 137 Cs, 239+240 Pu, and 90 Sr in the various marine products around Korean Peninsula collected in 2015–2017. The activities of 137 Cs, 239+240 Pu, and 90 Sr were in the ranges of 12.2–258.4 mBq kg − 1 , 0.014–1.879 mBq kg − 1 , and 11.3–18.3 mBq kg − 1 , respectively. The higher 239+240 Pu (a factor of 10–50) relative to fishes were observed in mollusks. 137 Cs in fishes were significantly enriched with growths. The calculated concentration factors (CFs) of 137 Cs, 239+240 Pu, and 90 Sr in marine products were 7–143, 3–407, and 15–25, respectively. Overall, no noticeable artificial radioactivity was detected in marine organisms when comparing these results with previous data reported before the Fukushima nuclear accident and recommended CF values. The annual effective doses of 137 Cs, 239+240 Pu, and 90 Sr by seafood consumption in South Korea were estimated to be 1.1 × 10 − 4 , 1.6 × 10 − 5 and, 2.9 × 10 − 5  mSv yr − 1 , respectively, which is insignificant relative to that of natural radionuclides.