Food quality and safety as the keys to the health of future generations

The material for the research were publications of scientists, reporting documentation of ZHRSLSPS, RSLSPS, SLVSE of Zhytomyr and Zhytomyr region, food samples. Radiological studies were performed on the device USC Gamma-plus № 0502 BG. The content of radionuclides in mushrooms was determined on RUG-91. In 2020, 210183 samples were tested, including 90 in excess. As in previous years, the excess was found in 19 samples of milk from the Narodytsya district (103–180 Bq/kg). The gifts of the forest remain the most polluted. The specific activity of 3 samples of fresh mushrooms from Novohrad-Volynskyi district was 610 Bq/kg, 642 Bq/kg, and 819 Bq/kg (with DR 500 Bq/kg), 4 samples from Yemilchyn district – 531–761 Bq/kg, 2 samples from Luhyny district – 760 Bq/kg and 827 Bq/kg. The most significant number of exceedances in the level of contamination of fresh mushrooms was found in Narodytsky, Ovruch, Malyn, and Olevsk districts, slightly less – in Luhyny. In particular, of the 25 samples of fresh mushrooms from Narodytsya district, 23 (621–2000 Bq/kg, DR exceeded 1.2–4 times) were detected, 28 % of fresh mushroom samples in Ovruch district were exceeded at 530–916 Bq/kg, of the 48 samples from Olevsk district exceedances were in 3 samples and, accordingly, their specific activity was at the level of 983 Bq/kg, 1994 Bq/kg and 2125 Bq/kg, i.e., 1.1, 3.9 and 4 times higher for DR-2006. In Malyn district, 50 % of samples of fresh mushrooms showed an excess of 631–1450 Bq/kg (1.3–2.9 times). In the Luhyny district, the excess was found in 18 % of samples (760 Bq/kg – 827 Bq/kg). The specific activity of samples of dried mushrooms from Novohrad-Volynskyi district was 2725 and 3018 Bq/kg, respectively, Yemilchynsky – 2608–3080 Bq/kg, Ovruch – 2820 Bq/kg and 2850 Bq/kg, Narodytsky – 3425 Bq/kg. The specific activity of 2 samples of wild animal meat from Narodytskyi district was 800 and 1400 Bq/kg (exceeding 2–3.5 times), 1 sample from Ovruch – 433 Bq/kg. Of the 109 samples of beekeeping products studied during this period, exceedances were detected in 1.8 %, the specific activity was 264 Bq/kg (Narodytskyi district) and 1920 Bq/kg (Ovruch district), respectively. In 2020, no excesses were found in samples of other products. Given that the consumption of food, even with low specific activity, leads to an increase in internal exposure, the research results indicate a threat to the health of present and future generations and the need for decision-making at the state level.