Artificial radioactivity of Finnish vegetables in the 2000s

A survey on long-lived artificial radionuclides Cs-137 and Sr-90 in vegetables produced in Finland was carried out in 2009-2010. The mean Cs-137 concentrations of all the outdoor vegetables were well below 0.5Bqkg(-1), ranging from<0.01 to 8.15Bq kg(-1) (fresh weight). The highest Cs-137 contents were found in potato and root vegetables. The uneven distribution of the Cs-137 deposition after the Chernobyl accident in 1986 was still seen in the Cs-137 contents of outdoor vegetables. The Cs-137 contents of greenhouse vegetables varied from<0.01 to 9.3Bqkg(-1), and the highest concentrations were found in organic lettuce grown in peat pots. The concentrations of Sr-90 in the vegetables varied from 0.0087 to 0.17Bqkg(-1) fresh weight. The mean effective dose resulting from Cs-137 and Sr-90 in vegetables in 2009-2010 was <0.3 mu Sv a(-1) and poses no health risk to the consumers.