# Evaluating 90Sr contamination in seafood and human exposure risks near Zhejiang nuclear power plants, China

## TL;DR

This study assesses 90Sr contamination in seafood near Zhejiang nuclear power plants and finds no significant health risks to local residents.

## Contribution

Provides baseline data on 90Sr levels in seafood near nuclear power plants and evaluates health risks for emergency preparedness.

## Key findings

- 90Sr levels in seafood near Zhejiang NPPs were within background levels and below food safety standards.
- Annual effective doses from 90Sr intake were much lower than the recommended threshold of 1.0 mSv/y.
- No statistically significant difference in 90Sr levels between NPP areas and Zhoushan City.

## Abstract

This work aims to assess the impact of three nuclear power plants (NPPs) in Zhejiang Province on the levels of 90Sr in surrounding seafood, and to evaluate the associated health risks, providing a scientific basis for operational monitoring and contributing essential baseline data for nuclear emergency preparedness.

From 2021 to 2023, the specific activities of 90Sr in five types of seafood (fish, shrimp, mussels, crabs, and algae) were monitored in the three NPPs, compared with Zhoushan City, which has no NPP, and the annual effective dose (AED) was estimated.

The results show that the mean specific activities of 90Sr in fish, shrimp, mussels, crabs, and algae around the NPPs were found to range from 0.09 to 0.76 Bq/kg, 0.03–0.30 Bq/kg, 0.01–0.22 Bq/kg, 0.11–1.04 Bq/kg, and 0.02–0.95 Bq/kg, respectively. According to the Kruskal-Wallis test, there was no statistically significant difference between the 90Sr specific activities in seafood from the three NPPs and Zhoushan. The AED due to 90Sr intake from seafood for residents living around the three NPPs and Zhoushan are much lower than the recommended threshold of 1.0 mSv/y.

The comprehensive monitoring results demonstrated that the 90Sr levels were at background levels and remained stable, consistently well below the limits of the relevant food safety standards, and the dose burden on the population was slight, indicating that the operation of the NPPs in Zhejiang Province did not have a significantly impact on the local seafood.