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Effective dose estimation and lifetime cancer mortality risk assessment from exposure to Chernobyl 137Cs on the territory of Belgrade City and the region of Vojvodina, Serbia

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to determine the activity concentrations of radionuclide 137Cs in soil samples on the territory of Belgrade and the province of Vojvodina. Also, the lifetime cancer mortality risk from external exposure during 1 year is assessed, and the effective dose is estimated.

Methods

Eighty eight soil samples were collected from 30 uncultivated locations in Belgrade, and 30 soil samples were collected from 10 locations in the province of Vojvodina. Activity concentrations were measured using an HPGe detector. Using dose conversion factors taken from “EPA Federal Guidance Report 12,” annual effective doses from external sources were estimated. The lifetime cancer mortality risk was assessed using cancer risk coefficients taken from “EPA Federal Guidance Report 13.”

Results

Activity concentrations of 137Cs for the territory of Belgrade are in the range of 2.07–89.1 Bq/kg with a mean value of 23.77 Bq/kg; the estimated annual effective doses are in the range of 0.41–17.5 nSv with a mean value of 4.67 nSv, and assessed lifetime cancer mortality risks, normalized on 100,000 inhabitants, are in the range 0.2–9.5 × 10−5 with a mean value 2.5 × 10−5. Activity concentrations of 137Cs for the province of Vojvodina are in the range of 2.73–18.9 Bq/kg with a mean value of 8.57 Bq/kg; estimated annual effective doses are in the range of 0.54–3.71 nSv with a mean value of 1.68 nSv, and assessed lifetime cancer mortality risks, normalized on 100,000 inhabitants, are in the range of 0.3–2.0 × 10−5 with a mean value 0.9 × 10−5.

Conclusion

Receiving doses are low from 137Cs radionuclides occurring in soil, according to the linear no-threshold approach; the risk for cancer development exists but is very small.

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Acknowledgments

This research is part of the project named “Development of methods for calibration, standardization of reference materials samples and production of geomaps: gamaspectrometric testing of samples from the environment,” project no. 21011, Republic Program, Technological Development. The authors are sincerely grateful to the Ministry of Science and Technological Development, Republic of Serbia, for supporting this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 6, 21000, Novi Sad, Serbia

    Vesna Spasić-Jokić & Ljubica Župunski

  2. Military Medical Academy, Institute of Occupational Medicine, Crnotravska 17, 11000, Belgrade, Serbia

    Ljiljana Janković

  3. Geoscience, Kosovska 18, 11000, Belgrade, Serbia

    Vojin Gordanić

Authors
  1. Vesna Spasić-Jokić
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  2. Ljubica Župunski
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  3. Ljiljana Janković
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  4. Vojin Gordanić
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ljubica Župunski.

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Responsible editor: Philippe Garrigues

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Spasić-Jokić, V., Župunski, L., Janković, L. et al. Effective dose estimation and lifetime cancer mortality risk assessment from exposure to Chernobyl 137Cs on the territory of Belgrade City and the region of Vojvodina, Serbia. Environ Sci Pollut Res 18, 708–715 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-011-0493-5

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