Study of Polonium (210Po) Activity Concentration in Fruit Wines Derived from Different Locations in Poland

Abstract

This study aimed at assessing the activity concentration and the annual effective dose of polonium-210 (210Po) in fruit wines derived from four locations in Poland (Warmian–Masurian, Podlaskie, Lubelskie and Małopolskie voivodeships). The fruit wines differed significantly (p < 0.05) in 210Po activity depending on the production site, with the Małopolskie site having the highest activity (61.4–221.4 mBq/L) and the Podlaskie having the lowest (3.5–97.1 mBq/L). The site differentiation was due to environmental conditions—soil parameters (uranium concentration), precipitations and terrain characteristics, e.g., the proximity of the lakes. The increased activity concentration of 210Po in samples from Małopolska compared with the other sites probably derived from the environment polluted with aqueous wastes and particulate air pollution. The annual effective dose due to the ingestion of fruit wines ranged from 0.112 to 1.214 µSv/year. These levels of exposure are safe according to the WHO criterion (0.1 mSv per year for ingestion) and to the IAEA reference level for public exposure including food (1 mSv per year). Summing up, the data obtained provide information on the activity concentration of 210Po in fruit wines and increase databases on the natural radioactivity of foodstuffs. Future work is needed to examine 210Po activity in samples from all vineyard regions in Poland.