Chapter 15
Radioactive Content in Fish from Black Sea
Caches. Its Impact on Population by Food
Consumption
Vasile Pa ˘tras ¸cu, Romul Mircea Ma ˘rgineanu, Valodia Maximov,
Ana-Maria Blebea-Apostu, Ma ˘da ˘lina Galat ¸chi, Claudia Gomoiu,
and George T ¸ iganov
Abstract Marine living resources are a recognized food basis. The exploitation of
species with economic value has increased in intensity, along with the sharp global
food demand. The Black Sea, as a semi-enclosed sea, has a limited potential in this
respect. The stocks have decreased recently and, consequently, restricted limits of
fishing are needed in all riparian countries. The catches in the Romanian sector
ranged from 568 to 2231 tons during 2011–2014. The dominant species were rapa
whelk, sprat, anchovy and turbot. As the amount of fish catches is limited, most of
the fish is intended for local consumption. Food quality and safety focus attention
on the conditions of consumer acceptance. Among targeted indicators, the level of
radioactivity has a special importance. This is particularly substantiated for the
Black Sea, as a receiving area of all normal and nuclear activities impact from the
continent, besides the scientific interest related to the migration of radionuclides in
the aquatic environment. This paper presents the natural and artificial significant
radionuclide levels measured in fish and an extrapolation to population exposure
through food consumption. Thus, it was found that Cs-137 is present between 0.42
and 0.94 Bq/kg fw and K-40 between 36 and 184 Bq/kg fw. The maximum values
were considered in calculating exposure for target groups and the entire resource
caught. The results obtained do not show an exceeding of the legal limits and do not
constitute a risk by food consumption.
Keywords Marine radioactivity • Doses • Marine fish • Radioecology • Black Sea
V. Pa ˘tras ¸cu (*) • V. Maximov • M. Galat ¸chi • G. T ¸ iganov
National Institute for Marine Research and Development (NIMRD) “Grigore Antipa”,
Constanta, Romania
e-mail: vpatrascu@alpha.rmri.ro
R.M. Ma ˘rgineanu • Ana-Maria Blebea-Apostu • C. Gomoiu
Horia Hulubei National Institute for R&D in Physics and Nuclear Engineering (IFIN-HH),
Magurele, Romania
© Springer International Publishing AG 2018
C.W. Finkl, C. Makowski (eds.), Diversity in Coastal Marine Sciences, Coastal
Research Library 23, DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-57577-3_15
241
Radioactive Content in Fish from Black Sea
Caches. Its Impact on Population by Food
Consumption
Vasile Pa ˘tras ¸cu, Romul Mircea Ma ˘rgineanu, Valodia Maximov,
Ana-Maria Blebea-Apostu, Ma ˘da ˘lina Galat ¸chi, Claudia Gomoiu,
and George T ¸ iganov
Abstract Marine living resources are a recognized food basis. The exploitation of
species with economic value has increased in intensity, along with the sharp global
food demand. The Black Sea, as a semi-enclosed sea, has a limited potential in this
respect. The stocks have decreased recently and, consequently, restricted limits of
fishing are needed in all riparian countries. The catches in the Romanian sector
ranged from 568 to 2231 tons during 2011–2014. The dominant species were rapa
whelk, sprat, anchovy and turbot. As the amount of fish catches is limited, most of
the fish is intended for local consumption. Food quality and safety focus attention
on the conditions of consumer acceptance. Among targeted indicators, the level of
radioactivity has a special importance. This is particularly substantiated for the
Black Sea, as a receiving area of all normal and nuclear activities impact from the
continent, besides the scientific interest related to the migration of radionuclides in
the aquatic environment. This paper presents the natural and artificial significant
radionuclide levels measured in fish and an extrapolation to population exposure
through food consumption. Thus, it was found that Cs-137 is present between 0.42
and 0.94 Bq/kg fw and K-40 between 36 and 184 Bq/kg fw. The maximum values
were considered in calculating exposure for target groups and the entire resource
caught. The results obtained do not show an exceeding of the legal limits and do not
constitute a risk by food consumption.
Keywords Marine radioactivity • Doses • Marine fish • Radioecology • Black Sea
V. Pa ˘tras ¸cu (*) • V. Maximov • M. Galat ¸chi • G. T ¸ iganov
National Institute for Marine Research and Development (NIMRD) “Grigore Antipa”,
Constanta, Romania
e-mail: vpatrascu@alpha.rmri.ro
R.M. Ma ˘rgineanu • Ana-Maria Blebea-Apostu • C. Gomoiu
Horia Hulubei National Institute for R&D in Physics and Nuclear Engineering (IFIN-HH),
Magurele, Romania
© Springer International Publishing AG 2018
C.W. Finkl, C. Makowski (eds.), Diversity in Coastal Marine Sciences, Coastal
Research Library 23, DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-57577-3_15
241