Marine  Chemistry

System  Nordsee

31

ters.  These  higher  concentrations  are  attributable  chiefly  to  the  presence  of  resuspended ­
  material  originating  from  highly  polluted  Irish  Sea  sediment.
On  average,  the  total  effective  dose  per  person  and  year  in  Germany  is  4  mSv,  half  of
which  is  attributable  to  medical  treatments,  especially  x-ray  diagnostics.  The  only  pathway ­
  through  which  radioactive  contamination  of  the  North  Sea  may  contribute  to  radiative ­
  exposure  of  the  population  is  the  consumption  of  fish  and  other  seafood.  Average
consumption  of  14  kg/a  would  result  in  an  effective  dose  not  exceeding  0.2  ¡iSv/a,
which  is  far  below  the  »trivial  dose<  of  10  ¡iSv/a  specified  in  the  German  Radiation  Protection ­
  Ordinance.  As  the  enrichment  of  radionuclides  in  the  food  chain  does  not  contribute ­
  significantly  to  the  total  exposure  of  humans,  this  probably  also  applies  to  North
Sea  flora  and  fauna.