Radioactivity measurements and dosimetric evaluation in meat of wild and bred animals in central Italy

This research was dedicated to the study of the background activity concentration of natural radionuclides and 137Cs in meat of wild and farm animals from central Italy. This meat is largely consumed by the local population and also exported to different countries. 40K, 210Pb, 214Pb, 214Bi and 137Cs were determined by gamma spectrometry, 210Po by alpha spectrometry. The mean 40K activity concentration resulted 415 ± 56 Bq kg−1 dw. In all samples, 210Pb was below the detection limit (<18.9 Bq kg−1 dw). The 214Pb and 214Bi activity concentration was detectable in only 33.1% of samples with a mean value of 3.5 ± 1.2 Bq kg−1 dw. The 210Po activity concentration ranged between 0.02 ± 0.002 Bq kg−1 dw (pig) and 3.13 ± 0.31 Bq kg−1 dw (deer) with a mean value of 0.48 ± 0.42 Bq kg−1 dw. A significant difference can be noticed between the 210Po concentration in the meat of wild specimens and the 210Po concentration in those reared. Instead, no difference can be observed between male and female species and between adult and young species. The 137Cs activity concentration resulted or not detectable or near to detection limit except in a few samples of boar and roe deer. The effective dose from 210Po ingested by eating bovine, and pig and wild animal meat accounts only for 0.03–0.11% of the natural radiation exposure in Italy.