Assessment of the external exposure dose to humans from 137Cs and 90Sr in the coastal waters of the Baltic sea near Lithuania

Abstract

At present the Baltic Sea is considered to be the most contaminated with anthropogenic radionuclides in comparison to any other part of the World Ocean. Anthropogenic radionuclides (mainly 137Cs and 90Sr) found in the seawater are sources of the external exposure that contributes to the total radiation exposure to humans. The variations of activity concentrations of 137Cs and 90Sr in the water of the Baltic Sea near Lithuanian coast in 1985–2013 were analyzed. External exposure dose from these radionuclides to humans due to immersion in the seawater were calculated using the results of the measurements. An average external exposure dose from 137Cs ranged between 6.28 nSv•h-1 to 1.5 nSv•h-1 , from 90Sr – between 1.73 nSv•h-1 to 0.53 nSv•h-1 .