SPECIFIC ACTIVITY AND DERIVED INTERVENTION LEVELS FOR CESIUM-137 IN COSTA-RICAN EXPORT GOODS - TUNA FISH, COFFEE AND POWDERED MILK

Cesium-137 is a fission product of U-235 and Pu239. After a major nucl ear accident, it is released into the atmosphere and in the far field region it will produce radioactively contaminated food and drinking wa ter. This paper will study the specific activity of Cs-137 in three Co sta Rican export products: tuna fish, coffee and powdered milk. The av erage specific activities found are as follows: 0.89 +/- 0.41, 1.16 +/ - 0.76 and 4.53 +/- 2.00 Bq kg-1. They represent low values compared t o their derived intervention levels: 1.25 x 10(7), 1.25 x 10(7) and 2. 44 x 10(5) Bq kg-1, respectively.