Current and potential doses from Arctic seafood consumption

Current collective and individual dose rates to humans are estimated from the consumption of seafood harvested in the Arctic Seas. Statistical data on catches are used for the dose assessment, as well as observed data (1991–1994) on the radioactivity of marine biota. The actual collective dose rates to the world population are estimated to be: 2.7 – 4.5 manSv/year due to consumption of seafood from the Barents Sea, and 0.03 manSv/year—due to seafood from the Kara Sea. The contribution of 137Cs to the collective dose rate is about 90%. Current individual dose rates to high-rate consumers are estimated to be: 2.6 × 10−6 Sv/year due to seafood from the Barents Sea; and 4.2 × 10−6 Sv/year — due to seafood from the Kara Sea. The future radiological impact of the radioactive waste (RW) disposals in the Kara Sea is simulated for the period over 1000 years, using the regional box model of the Arctic Seas. The model predictions are made for three hypothetical scenarios of long-term radionuclide releases, prepared within the framework of the International Arctic Seas Assessment Project. The potential collective dose to world population truncated to 3000 ad is shown to be not higher than 0.13 manSv. The maximum individual dose rates from Arctic seafood consumption are estimated to be about 1.2 × 10−7 Sv/year. The predicted doses are much smaller than the actual doses due to the current radioactive contamination of the Arctic Seas.