Article

Distribution of ¹³⁷Cs in fishes from the seas surrounding Korea: its bioaccumulation and annual effective dose

¹ Marine Environmental Research Department, Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST), Busan 49111, South Korea
² Department of Ocean Science, University of Science and Technology (UST), Daejeon 34113, South Korea

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Received: 3 February 2025
Accepted: 27 May 2025

Abstract

The distribution of artificial radionuclide ¹³⁷Cs in fish from the seas surrounding the Korean Peninsula was investigated to estimate the bioaccumulation and annual effective dose rate according to size. The activity of ¹³⁷Cs in the muscles of seven fish species (armored weaselfish, croaker, flounder, hairtail, catfish, conger, and mackerel) was in the range of 50–269 mBq kg⁻¹, which was similar to that observed in Korean Seas between 2017 and 2021 (<22 to 288 mBq kg⁻¹). The results showed no particular enrichment pattern based on the fish body size. The activity of ¹³⁷Cs in dissected parts, such as the skin, inner organs, gills, and gonads, was in the range of 29–311 mBq kg⁻¹, and the parts where ¹³⁷Cs was most enriched varied among fish species and growth stages. The annual effective dose rate of ¹³⁷Cs provided by the seafood consumption of these fish in South Korea was estimated to be 0.10–4.81 × 10⁻⁶ mSv y⁻¹, which is insignificant relative to that of natural radionuclides such as ²¹⁰Po. Thus, these results indicated that annual dose rate by the ¹³⁷Cs dose not have a noticeable impact on marine organisms, however, continuous monitoring with various species of fish is necessary to evaluate possible future nuclear power plant accidents.