Measurements of natural and artificial radionuclides in food samples and water for human consumption in Austria for the calculation of the ingestion dose

A new report on food habits of the Austrian population in the year 2006/2007 was released in 2008. Mixed diets and foodstuffs are measured within a monitoring program according to the Austrian radiation protection law, food law, and the Commission Recommendation 2000/473/Euratom on the application of Article 36 of the Euratom Treaty concerning the monitoring of the levels of radioactivity in the environment for the purpose of assessing the exposure of the population as a whole. In addition, drinking and mineral water samples are measured for natural and artificial radionuclides. The ingestion dose for the Austrian population is recalculated based on the results of these measurements, literature data, and the data of the new report on food habits. In general, the major part of the ingestion dose is caused by natural radionuclides, especially ⁴⁰K.