Estimation of 210Po and its risk to human beings due to consumption of marine species at Mumbai, India

210Po was estimated in the edible muscle and soft tissue of 15 different marine species (fish, crab, prawn and bivalve) collected from Trans-Thane Creek area (Trombay) and Thane. Potential risks associated with consumption of marine organisms due to 210Po collected from this particular area to human beings were assessed. Estimation of 210Po was carried out using radiochemical separation and alpha spectrometric technique. The concentration of 210Po was found to vary from 0.18 to 10.9 Bq kg−1 wet wt in different biota species and maximum concentrations were observed in bivalves. The variations in 210Po concentration in different species are mainly due to difference in metabolism and feeding habits. The daily intake and individual dose of 210Po to human beings through biota consumption was calculated and found to be 31.89 mBq d−1 and 19.44 μSv yr−1, respectively. An assessment of the risk on human beings due to consumption of marine organism was undertaken using carcinogenic slope factor for 210Po. 5th, 50th and 95th percentile of life time risk was calculated to be 9.74E−06, 4.39E−05 and 2.12E−04, respectively.