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Pattono D, Mannelli A, Dalmasso A, Orusa R, Faure Ragani M, Bottero MT. 137Cesium (137Cs) assessment in wild boars from northwestern Italy. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0303093. [PMID: 38722996 PMCID: PMC11081301 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0303093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Radionuclide contamination is a serious health issue caused by nuclear experiments and plant accidents, as seen for the Chernobyl and Fukushima nuclear plants. Italy has been especially interested in northwestern alpine regions, as have several other nations. The aim of this work was to indagate 134Cs and 137Cs contamination in wild boars, which were considered bioindicators sampled in the Chisone/Germanasca Valley and the Pellice Valley districts (Piedmont, Italy) in two hunting seasons (2014 and 2016). In the 2014 season, only the livers of the animals (n = 48) were sampled, whereas in 2016, five different anatomical sampling sites were sampled for each animal (n = 16). The analyses were conducted in an accredited laboratory (Agenzia Regionale per la Protezione dell'Ambiente-ARPA) by the aid of an HPGe detector (Ortec) with a relative efficiency of 50%. In general, the contamination levels registered in 2014 were under the detection limit for 134Cs and low for 137Cs (Chisone/Germanasca valley: min: 0.0, max: 23.9 median 11.0 Bq/kg vs Pellice valley: min 0, max: 31.7, median: 9.6 Bq/kg) and no health concern can be supposed. In the first-year samples, the liver showed a negative correlation between age and contamination level. In the second year of sampling, low levels were confirmed (min: 3.1 Bq/kg, max: 113.3; median 17.7 Bq/kg). Multiple sampling from the same animal showed that the diaphragm (median = 27.7 Bq/kg) kidney (27.4) and tongue (27.6) were more contaminated than the liver (17.7) and spleen (15.3). Moreover, a linear mixed model revealed a negative organ-by-age interaction, meaning that interorgan differences in contamination level were greater in younger (5-11 months) than in older (18-36 months) animals. Different feeding habits can be the explanation. Our paper shows that muscle sites (diaphragm and tongue) can be useful for radionuclide pollution surveillance in wild boar populations and that younger animals show more interorgan variability in contamination levels than older animals. More investigations are needed to confirm this correlation and to fulfill the request for more data to achieve better risk assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniele Pattono
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, Largo Paolo Braccini 2 I-10095, Grugliasco (TO), Italy
| | - Alessandro Mannelli
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, Largo Paolo Braccini 2 I-10095, Grugliasco (TO), Italy
| | - Alessandra Dalmasso
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, Largo Paolo Braccini 2 I-10095, Grugliasco (TO), Italy
| | - Riccardo Orusa
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale di Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, Aosta Section, Località Amerique 7/G, 11020 Quart (AO), Italy
| | - Massimo Faure Ragani
- Agenzia Regionale per la Protezione dell’Ambiente (ARPA) Valle d’ Aosta, Località La Maladière, 48, 11020 Saint Christophe (AO), Italy
| | - Maria Teresa Bottero
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, Largo Paolo Braccini 2 I-10095, Grugliasco (TO), Italy
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Exemplifying the “wild boar paradox”: dynamics of cesium-137 contaminations in wild boars in Germany and Japan. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10967-022-08528-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
AbstractWild boars (Sus scrofa) are notorious for accumulating high contamination levels of 137Cs in their meat. Publicly available data of 137Cs contamination levels in wild boars from 2011 to 2019 were used to determine some radioecological characteristics in Germany (affected by Chernobyl-fallout, 1986) and Japan (affected Fukushima, 2011). The effective half-life of 137Cs in wild boar meat was much longer in Germany (7.3 y) than in Japan (2.6 y), respectively. Wild boars in Germany thus show much more persistent contamination levels than other game or forest animals. This unusual behavior has been termed “wild boar paradox.” In German wild boars, the data sets reveal a distinct geographical and seasonal dependence with higher activity concentrations in winter than in summer. In Japan, contamination levels only exhibit a distinct decline behavior.
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Caridi F, Spoto SE, Mottese AF, Paladini G, Crupi V, Belvedere A, Marguccio S, D’Agostino M, Faggio G, Grillo R, Messina G, Barreca F, Venuti V, Majolino D. Multivariate Statistics, Mineralogy, and Radiological Hazards Assessment Due to the Natural Radioactivity Content in Pyroclastic Products from Mt. Etna, Sicily, Southern Italy. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph191711040. [PMID: 36078754 PMCID: PMC9517781 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191711040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Revised: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
In this article, an investigation of the natural radioactivity content of pyroclastic products from Mt. Etna, eastern Sicily, Southern Italy, was carried out. In particular, the assessment of the average activity concentration of the investigated radionuclides, related to the mineralogical phase composition of the analyzed samples, and the radiological health risk for the population, was performed. High Purity Germanium (HPGe) gamma-ray spectrometry was employed in order to quantify the average specific activity of 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K natural radioisotopes. The absorbed gamma dose rate (D), the radium equivalent activity (Raeq), the hazard indices (Hin and Hex), the annual effective dose equivalent outdoor (AEDEout), and the excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR) were also estimated in order to assess any possible radiological hazard for the population. In our case, they were found to be lower than the maximum recommended values for the population members, thus reasonably excluding radiological hazard effects. Moreover, the identification of the source of the aforementioned naturally occurring radionuclides was attempted by X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Micro-Raman Scattering (MRS), thereby recognizing the main radioisotope-bearing minerals present in the investigated pyroclastic products. Finally, Pearson correlation, Principal Component Analysis (PCA), and Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA) were performed by processing observed radioactivity and radiological parameters in order to determine their correlation with the sampling locations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Caridi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Matematiche e Informatiche, Scienze Fisiche e Scienze della Terra, Università degli Studi di Messina, V.le F. Stagno D’Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
- Correspondence: (F.C.); (G.P.); (G.F.); (V.V.)
| | - Sebastiano Ettore Spoto
- Dipartimento di Scienze Matematiche e Informatiche, Scienze Fisiche e Scienze della Terra, Università degli Studi di Messina, V.le F. Stagno D’Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
| | - Antonio Francesco Mottese
- Dipartimento di Scienze Matematiche e Informatiche, Scienze Fisiche e Scienze della Terra, Università degli Studi di Messina, V.le F. Stagno D’Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Paladini
- Dipartimento di Scienze Matematiche e Informatiche, Scienze Fisiche e Scienze della Terra, Università degli Studi di Messina, V.le F. Stagno D’Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
- Correspondence: (F.C.); (G.P.); (G.F.); (V.V.)
| | - Vincenza Crupi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Matematiche e Informatiche, Scienze Fisiche e Scienze della Terra, Università degli Studi di Messina, V.le F. Stagno D’Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
| | - Alberto Belvedere
- Agenzia Regionale per la Protezione dell’Ambiente della Calabria (ARPACal)—Dipartimento di Reggio Calabria, Via Troncovito SNC, 89135 Reggio Calabria, Italy
| | - Santina Marguccio
- Agenzia Regionale per la Protezione dell’Ambiente della Calabria (ARPACal)—Dipartimento di Reggio Calabria, Via Troncovito SNC, 89135 Reggio Calabria, Italy
| | - Maurizio D’Agostino
- Agenzia Regionale per la Protezione dell’Ambiente della Calabria (ARPACal)—Dipartimento di Reggio Calabria, Via Troncovito SNC, 89135 Reggio Calabria, Italy
| | - Giuliana Faggio
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria dell’Informazione, delle Infrastrutture e dell’Energia Sostenibile (DIIES), Università “Mediterranea”, Loc. Feo di Vito, 89122 Reggio Calabria, Italy
- Correspondence: (F.C.); (G.P.); (G.F.); (V.V.)
| | - Rossella Grillo
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria dell’Informazione, delle Infrastrutture e dell’Energia Sostenibile (DIIES), Università “Mediterranea”, Loc. Feo di Vito, 89122 Reggio Calabria, Italy
| | - Giacomo Messina
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria dell’Informazione, delle Infrastrutture e dell’Energia Sostenibile (DIIES), Università “Mediterranea”, Loc. Feo di Vito, 89122 Reggio Calabria, Italy
| | - Francesco Barreca
- Dipartimento di Scienze Matematiche e Informatiche, Scienze Fisiche e Scienze della Terra, Università degli Studi di Messina, V.le F. Stagno D’Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
| | - Valentina Venuti
- Dipartimento di Scienze Matematiche e Informatiche, Scienze Fisiche e Scienze della Terra, Università degli Studi di Messina, V.le F. Stagno D’Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
- Correspondence: (F.C.); (G.P.); (G.F.); (V.V.)
| | - Domenico Majolino
- Dipartimento di Scienze Matematiche e Informatiche, Scienze Fisiche e Scienze della Terra, Università degli Studi di Messina, V.le F. Stagno D’Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
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Caridi F, Belmusto G. Radiological Risks Assessment Due to Natural Radioactivity in
Mediterranean Sea Fishes. CURRENT NUTRITION & FOOD SCIENCE 2022. [DOI: 10.2174/1573401317666210908163356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Background and Objectives:
A comprehensive study was carried out for the determination
of natural radioactivity in Mediterranean sea fishes and the evaluation of radiological
health risks due to their ingestion. All analyzed samples came from the Calabria region, southern
Italy, and, in particular, from the district of Reggio Calabria.
Method:
A total of seventy representative samples, five for each investigated species (Sardina
Pilchardus, Mugil Cephalus, Scomber Scombrus, Sparus Aurata, Dicentrarchus Labrax, Tonnus
Thynnus, Thunnus Alalunga, Xiphaias Gladius, Pagellus Erythrinnus, Engraulis Encrasicholus,
Belone Belone, Solea Solea, Merluccius Merluccius, Mullus Surmuletus) were analyzed
through HPGe gamma spectrometry. The evaluation of dose levels and lifetime cancer
risks for adult members of the population due to the fishes ingestion was also performed.
Results:
The specific activity of 40K was investigated and its mean value was found to be: (157
± 17) for Sardina Pilchardus, (138 ± 14) for Mugil Cephalus, (118 ± 13) for Scomber
Scombrus, (128 ± 14) for Sparus Aurata, (146 ± 17) for Dicentrarchus Labrax, (93 ± 11) for
Tonnus Thynnus, (137 ± 15) for Thunnus Alalunga, (98 ± 10) for Xiphaias Gladius, (105 ± 12)
for Pagellus Erythrinnus, (132 ± 14) for Engraulis Encrasicholus, (113 ± 12) for Belone Belone,
(34 ± 5) for Solea Solea, (76 ± 9) for Merluccius Merluccius and (96 ± 11) for Mullus
Surmuletus, respectively.
Conclusions:
The committed effective dose and the lifetime cancer risks for adult members of
the population due to the consumption of the investigated samples are lower than the average
world value, the maximum acceptable level and the allowed range, respectively. It can then be
concluded that the Mediterranean sea fishes consumed in the study area pose no significant
health risks to the population from a radiological point of view.
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Affiliation(s)
- F. Caridi
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Sciences, Physics and Earth Sciences (MIFT), University of Messina, Viale
F. Stagno d’Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
| | - G. Belmusto
- Environmental Protection Agency of Calabria, Italy (ARPACal),
Department of Reggio Calabria, Via Troncovito SNC, 89135 Reggio Calabria, Italy
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Evaluation of the Radiological and Chemical Risk for Public Health from Flour Sample Investigation. APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/app11083646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Flour investigation, in terms of physical and chemical pollutants and mineral content, is of great interest, in view of its high consumption for nutritional purposes. In this study, eleven types of flour (five samples for each one), coming from large retailers and employed by people for different cooking food purposes, were investigated through high-purity germanium (HPGe) gamma spectrometry, in order to estimate natural (40K) and anthropogenic (137Cs) radioisotope specific activity and thus, to assess the radiological risk due to the flour ingestion. Inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and inductively-coupled plasma emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) were also employed to evaluate any possible heavy metal contamination and the mineral composition, and to perform multivariate statistical analysis to deduce the flour authenticity. The evaluation of dose levels due to flour ingestion was performed, for the age category higher than 17 years, taking into account the average yearly consumption in Italy and assuming this need to be satisfied from a single type of flour as a precaution. All obtained results are under the allowable level set by Italian legislation (1 mSv y−1), thus excluding the risk of ionizing radiation effects on humans. As far as heavy metal contamination is concerned, Cd and Pb concentrations turned out to be lower than the threshold values, thus excluding their presence as pollutants. Finally, the multivariate statistical analysis allowed to unambiguously correlate flour samples to their botanical origin, according to their elemental concentrations.
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Assessment of Natural Radioactivity and Radiological Risks in River Sediments from Calabria (Southern Italy). APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/app11041729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
This study was developed to carry out a comprehensive radiological assessment of natural radioactivity for river sediment samples from Calabria, southern Italy, and to define a baseline background for the area on a radiation map. In the studied area, elevated levels of natural radionuclides are expected, due to the outcropping acidic intrusive and metamorphic rocks from which the radioactive elements derive. To identify and quantify the natural radioisotopes, ninety river sediment samples from nine selected coastal sampling points (ten samples for each point) were collected as representative of the Ionian and the Tyrrhenian coastline of Calabria. The samples were analyzed using a gamma ray spectrometer equipped with a high-purity germanium (HPGe) detector. The values of mean activity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K measured for the studied samples are (21.3 ± 6.3) Bq kg−1, (30.3 ± 4.5) Bq kg−1 and (849 ± 79) Bq kg−1, respectively. The calculated radiological hazard indices showed average values of 63 nGy h−1 (absorbed dose rate), 0.078 mSv y−1 (effective dose outdoors), 0.111 mSv y−1 (effective dose indoors), 63 Bq kg−1 (radium equivalent), 0.35 (Hex), 0.41 (Hin), 0.50 (activity concentration index) and 458 µSv y−1 (Annual Gonadal Equivalent Dose, AGED). In order to delineate the spatial distribution of natural radionuclides on the radiological map and to identify the areas with low, medium and high radioactivity values, the Surfer 10 software was employed. Finally, the multivariate statistical analysis was performed to deduce the interdependency and any existing relationships between the radiological indices and the concentrations of the radionuclides. The results of this study, also compared with values of other locations of the Italian Peninsula characterized by similar local geological conditions, can be used as a baseline for future investigations about radioactivity background in the investigated area.
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