Radiation in Food: Understanding the Risks and Safety Measures

This is a topic where many dosimeter owners make mistakes, and unscrupulous manufacturers exploit the lack of knowledge among consumers.

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You cannot simply bring a dosimeter close to food products and determine if they contain dangerous levels of radioactive elements. The issue lies in the harm to humans. The quantities of radioactive substances in food that are dangerous are so small that they do not contribute to the radiation background and are not detectable under normal conditions by any devices.

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Special measurement modes are required for such assessments, which, based on the spectrum, will calculate the activity. In this case, the data from the natural radiation background will be subtracted from the measurements. Measurements can only be conducted in containers that are in the database of this mode, so that different volumes and weights of food do not affect the measurement results.

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Only under such conditions can the radioactivity of food products be measured.

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Radiacode has the sensitivity required for such measurements. It offers a special mode and several container options for measurements, the geometry of which is specified in the software.

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Most importantly, the measurement results are highly accurate, which has been repeatedly verified by independent tests and laboratories when our users discovered radioactive mushrooms and berries.

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Why Are There Strict Standards for Food Products?

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Radioactive isotopes accumulate in the body and emit radiation from within for years. Even small amounts of radioactive substances, if they remain in the body for a long time, can result in a high dose of radiation.

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The unit of activity is the Becquerel. One Becquerel equals one decay per second of one radioactive atom. (Do not confuse it with the unit CPS - CPS is only the part that was registered.)

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Usually, the standards for the content of Becquerels in a product depend on the frequency of average consumption of this product by the population. This is a very inaccurate system since an unusual diet can lead to the accumulation of a large amount of isotopes in the body. I would advise against consuming a food product if it contains more than 100 Becquerels per kilogram.

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The good news is that there are not many food products in the risk group, and it is not necessary to measure everything.

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High-Risk Group:

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• Wild mushrooms
• Berries
• Game meat
• Fish

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Other products do not accumulate radiation as much, and in peacetime, there is no need to check it.