Polonium (210Po) activity in various demersal fish in the waters surrounding coal-fired power plants (CFP) in Batang, Indonesia

Abstract The substantial content of protein, fat, omega-3, fatty acids, and various essential minerals in marine Fish has prompted the Indonesian government to actively advocate for increased fish consumption, particularly among pregnant women and children. However, Indonesia has built many coal-fired power plants (CFPs) along its coastline, including the largest facility, the Batang CFP, to meet its energy needs, which emit natural radionuclides. This study aimed to evaluate the level of 210Po radionuclide activity in several demersal fish species captured near CFP Batang and to examine its correlation with various environmental physicochemical parameters. The sample preparation method for fish tissues involves destruction and plating. 210Po activity was measured using Alpex alpha spectrometry using the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Marine Environmental Laboratories guidelines. The findings revealed that the concentrations of 210Po in sea catfish, stingray, blacktip reef shark, blue cheek grunt, spotted scat, ponyfish, Indian halibut, and tigertooth croaker were 3.80, 11.67, 7.57, 2.75, 2.98, 3.35, 5.13, and 4.82 Bq/kg, respectively. The 210Po activity levels were deemed safe for consumption, as they were significantly below the threshold established by the Indonesian Nuclear Energy Regulatory Agency (BAPETEN), which is 10 × 103 Bq/kg. The activity of 210Po in fish tissues was significantly influenced by the protein content of the Fish, with an R2 value of 0.878. The presence of silicate water can reduce the adsorption of 210Po in Fish, whereas the parameter of seawater currents does not significantly affect the accumulation of 210Po in Fish.