Estimation of dietary intake of ⁹⁰Sr in Japan after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident: market basket study, 2013–2018

Abstract

Radionuclide contamination in foods has been a public concern in Japan after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident. To estimate time and regional trends of daily intake and annual committed effective dose of strontium-90 (⁹⁰Sr) after the accident, we analysed Market basket samples using a low background 2π gas-flow counter. Samples were collected from six regions, once a year from 2013 to 2018. There appeared to be little variation in estimated daily intake and annual committed effective dose of ⁹⁰Sr across the time periods and regions. The estimated maximum annual committed effective dose of ⁹⁰Sr was 0.00076 mSv/year, a value sufficiently lower than the intervention exemption level, 1 mSv/year, in foods in Japan. There was no noticeable difference between the range of estimated daily intake of ⁹⁰Sr in this study compared with daily intake measured before the FDNPP accident. These results suggested that no obvious increase in dietary intake of ⁹⁰Sr was observed after the FDNPP accident, and that the effects on commercial foods from ⁹⁰Sr due to the FDNPP accident were negligible.

Keywords:

• Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident
• strontium-90
• dietary intake
• annual committed effective dose
• Market basket study
• low background 2π gas-flow counter

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan.