Radiocaesium Contamination of Mushrooms at High- and Low-Level Chernobyl Exposure Sites and Its Consequences for Public Health.

Ondřej Harkut,Petr Alexa,Radim Uhlář

doi:10.3390/life11121370

Abstract

We compare the specific activities of Cs and K in stipes and caps of three different common mushroom species (Xerocomus badius, Russula ochroleuca and Armillariella mellea) measured at the Czech Chernobyl hot spot in the Opava area (Silesia) and at a low-exposed site at the Beskydy mountains in 2011. The highest values of Cs were found in caps of Xerocomus badius and Russula ochroleuca in the Opava area ( and kBq/kg, respectively). The source of Cs was verified by the measurement of the Cs/Cs ratio. Based on our results, we estimate an effective dose per year due to radiocaesium intake in the two investigated areas for Xerocomus badius, one of the most popular edible mushrooms in the Czech Republic. In 2011, the effective dose reached the maximum value of 0.102 mSv in the Opava area and 0.004 mSv at the low-exposed site at the Beskydy mountains. Therefore, it does not represent a significant risk for public health.

Highlights

IntroductionWild fungi and their fruiting bodies—so-called mushrooms—tend to accumulate radiocaesium that represents a problematic environmental issue due to a relatively long half-life, emission of gamma radiation and high risk of incorporation into living organisms [1,2,3,4]
The Chernobyl hot spot area in the Opava region where the collecting of mushrooms took place is located on a geological bedrock consisting of paleozoic predominantly sedimentary rocks whereas the geological bedrock in the Ostravice river valley consists of mezozoic sedimentary rocks
We found that the 137 Cs specific activity a137 = 9400(200) Bq/kg is compatible with our results obtained from the measurement of the small samples of Xerocomus badius caps and stipes in the Opava region

Summary

Introduction

Wild fungi and their fruiting bodies—so-called mushrooms—tend to accumulate radiocaesium that represents a problematic environmental issue due to a relatively long half-life, emission of gamma radiation and high risk of incorporation into living organisms [1,2,3,4]. This effect has already been examined closely over decades after pollution events [2,5].

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