National and international standards for the specific activity of 137Cs in drinking water and agricultural products

Comparative analysis of sanitary and hygienic requirements for the specific activity of 137Cs in drinking water and agricultural products, such as grain, potatoes, root crops, milk, meat, fish, eggs established in Russia, Belarus the EAEU, Ukraine, Japan, China, European Union countries, the United States of America, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Health Organization, revealed significant differences. It might be due to the use of various methodological approaches to justify permissible levels of 137Cs in drinking water and agricultural products. However, there is only one criterion for the population of all countries: the radiation dose should not exceed 1 mSv/year. It follows that there is a need to clarify national and international standards for specific 137Cs radioactivity in drinking water and agricultural products. Consequently, national and international standards for the specific activity of 137Cs in drinking water and agricultural products need clarification and scientific justification based on unified methodological approaches. It is especially important for countries affected by accidents at the Chernobyl NPP (Russia, Belarus and Ukraine) and the Fukushima NPP 1 (Japan).