Internal radiation exposure from 137Cs and its association with the dietary habits of residents from areas affected by the Chernobyl nuclear accident, Ukraine: 2016-2018.

The total annual effective dose has steadily decreased since the fallout of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. However, chronic internal exposure to 137Cs still persists and fluctuates in a complex and unpredictable manner. Recently, body contamination was found to primarily occur owing to the intake of forest foodstuffs that contain long-lived 137Cs. Forest foodstuffs may have up to 100 times higher concentration of cesium than does local milk and meat. The present study aimed to investigate the recent dietary habits of residents in the Zhytomyr region of Ukraine, and assess the effect of the intake of forest foodstuffs on the increase in internal radioactivity from 137Cs. We screened 1,612 participants, from July 2016 to February 2018 for internal radioactivity, using whole-body counter at Korosten Medical Center and surveyed their background and intake habits. We analyzed the association among food type, intake frequency, and internal exposure dose. The analysis revealed that nearly 90% of the participants regularly consumed one of the forest foodstuffs (mushrooms, berries, fish) or milk. Nearly 80% of the participants indicated that they consumed mushrooms or berries or both. Internal radioactivity was detected in 30% of the participants. The diet that included mushrooms exhibited the highest internal radioactivity. The lowest Bq/kg concentration was observed in the only-berry group, following the no-intake group. There was a significant correlation between the intake frequency and the magnitude of Bq/kg. Radioactivity detected in the mushroom-berry and only-mushroom group were 8.6 and 9.2 Bq/kg, respectively. The lowest and highest intake frequency showed a radioactivity of 2.4 and 7.5 Bq/kg, respectively. Radioactivity in the winter season was significantly higher than that in other seasons. In conclusion, our study revealed that internal radioactivity varies depending on the type of food, intake frequency, and season.

The association between upper gastrointestinal endoscopic findings and internal radiation exposure in residents living in areas affected by the Chernobyl nuclear accident.

Many people living around the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (CNPP) have been exposed to 137Cs for several decades after the CNPP accident. Although half-life of 137Cs is about 30 years, some wild forest foodstuffs are contaminated by 137Cs even now. We pointed out in a previous report that low-dose internal radiation has been occasionally detected in people's body. Moreover, some doctors in local hospitals have claimed that internal exposure from contaminated foodstuffs may affect the digestive organs and possibly cause gastrointestinal (GI) diseases. Thus, we attempt to assess whether internal radiation exposure affects digestive organs or not, and the possible factors that influence digestive organs. Overall, 1,612 residents were assessed for internal 137Cs concentration using Whole-Body Counter and their digestive organs were screened with upper GI endoscopy from 2016-2018 in the Zhytomyr region, Ukraine. All participants answered to the questionnaire including their background, intake of wild forest foodstuff, intake frequency, smoking habits, and alcohol consumption. We checked the number of upper GI endoscopic diagnosis per person to assess the extent of damage to the upper digestive organs. Next, we statistically analyzed associations between this number and age, sex, level of internal exposure dose, alcohol consumption, wild forest foodstuff intake, and smoking. Consequently, we revealed that the number of GI diagnosis is significantly increased by factors such as sex, intake of wild forest foodstuff, and alcohol consumption. However, the average level of internal exposure of 137Cs and smoking did not relate to the number of GI diagnosis. Thus, the results of multiple regression revealed that alcohol consumption is independently related to the number of GI diagnosis that is most likely accompanied by the intake of wild forest foodstuff. In conclusion, the low-dose internal exposure may not affect the digestive organs of residents living around CNPP.

Screening for the 137Cs body burden owing to the Chernobyl accident in Zhytomyr region, Ukraine: 2009-2018.

The Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident released vast amounts of various fission products, of which 131I and 137Cs are considered the most important because they are a major source of radiation exposure to the general public. 137Cs, unlike 131I, has a 30-year half-life that continues to expose people internally and externally for several decades after being deposited into the ground. 137Cs can be easily transmitted to the body through the intake of products and wild forest foodstuffs produced in contaminated areas. In the early phase, external exposure to 137Cs was predominant; however, it gradually diminished, mostly owing to horizontal and vertical distribution, and internal exposure started gaining dominance. Prior studies have shown that people in the affected areas have been constantly subjected to the inevitable low-grade internal exposure, which in turn has led to high anxiety and concern regarding the potential health effects. The present 10-year study assessed the latest status of the body burden among residents of the contaminated parts of the Zhytomyr region of Ukraine by measuring the internal concentration of 137Cs using the whole-body counter installed at the Medical Center of Korosten city. Almost 110 000 examinees from eight different districts were screened between 2009 and 2018. The study area was situated to the west of Chernobyl, which experienced a significant fallout of 137Cs and 131I from the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. We analyzed the data for internal exposure to 137Cs by obtaining the actual magnitude, pace, and pattern of change for each year. During the study, the average 137Cs concentration in residents fell from 21.6 Bq/kg at the beginning of the study to 3.0 Bq/kg at the end of the study. The proportion of examinees with detectable levels had also fallen rapidly, from 45% to 11%. We found a weaker seasonal effect and a significantly higher Bq/kg concentration in adolescents than in other age groups.