Health risk assessment of 210Po and 210Pb due to consumption of dried fish from natural high background radiation areas of Kanyakumari coast, Tamil Nadu, India.
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This study investigated the concentrations of naturally occurring radionuclides, specifically polonium-210 (210Po) and Lead-210 (210Pb), and their associated health risks in dried fish samples collected from Natural High Background Radiation Areas (NHBRAs) along the Kanyakumari coast, India. Samples of water, sediment and twelve dried fish species were collected from seven coastal locations known for monazite-rich beach sands. Following rigorous electrochemical separation, low background Alpha and Beta counting system was employed to determine the activity concentrations of the radionuclides. Results indicated significant variations in both 210Po (range: 0.91-27.1 Bq/kg; mean: 7.13 Bq/kg) and 210Pb (range: 7.42-22.91 Bq/kg; mean: 12.58 Bq/kg) concentrations across the different fish species. The highest concentrations of both radionuclides were observed in Scomber scombrus and Engraulis encrasicolus. The 210Po/210Pb activity ratio varied from 0.09 to 1.27 (mean: 0.47), suggesting species-specific differences in the bioaccumulation of these radionuclides. An assessment of the Annual Effective Dose (AED) revealed age-dependent variations. Children exhibited higher sensitivity to 210Po exposure, with AED values ranging from 4 × 10-6 to 1.2 × 10-4 Sv/y, compared to adults and juveniles. An Excessive Lifetime Cancer Risk (ELCR) analysis showed the maximum mortality and morbidity risks associated with 210Po was found in Scomber scombrus (3 × 10-4 and 4.2 × 10-4, respectively). Crucially, these ELCR values remained below established global threshold limits. This comprehensive radiological assessment provides crucial baseline data for environmental monitoring and public health protection in coastal communities, especially within regions exhibiting elevated natural background radiation.