Radioactivity in mushrooms from selected locations in the Bohemian Forest, Czech Republic

Abstract

Cs is one of the most important radionuclides released in the course of atmospheric nuclear weapon tests and during accidents in nuclear power plants such as that in Chernobyl, Ukraine, or Fukushima, Japan. The aim of this study was to compare Cs andK concentrations in particular species of mushrooms from selected locations in the Bohemian Forest (Czech: Šumava), Czech Republic, where a considerable contamination from the Chernobyl accident had been measured in 1986. Samples were collected between June and October 2014. Activities of Cs andK per dry mass were measured by means of a semiconductor gamma spectrometer. The Cs values measured range from below detection limit to 4300 ± 20 Bq kg, in the case of K from 910 ± 80 to 4300 ± 230 Bq kg. Differences were found between individual locations, due to uneven precipitation in the course of the movement of the radioactive cloud after the Chernobyl accident. There are, however, also differences between individual species of mushrooms from identical locations, which inter alia result from different characteristics of the soil and depths of mycelia. The values measured are compared with established limits and exposures from other radiation sources present in the environment. In general, it can be stated that the values measured are relatively low and the effects on the health of the population are negligible compared to other sources of ionizing radiation.

Radiocesium concentrations in mushrooms collected in Kawauchi Village five to eight years after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident

“…After the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (CNPP) accident, it has been confirmed that radiocesium tends to concentrate in wild mushrooms [2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]. Travnikova, et al found that the average 137 Cs activity in Boletus luteus, B. chanteral, and B. russula wild mushroom samples collected in Veprin village of Russia from 1994 to 1998 were 14,500, 2,550 and 8,980 Bq/kg, respectively [10].…”

The Knowledge and Awareness for Radiocesium Food Monitoring after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Accident in Nihonmatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture

“…Following the Chernobyl disaster, humans and domestic animals close to the nuclear plant were diagnosed with high internal radiation exposure resulting from ingestion of crops grown in radiocesium-contaminated soil [ 7 ]. Even 30 years after the disaster, wild mushrooms from Chernobyl still contained a high concentration of radiocesium, reflecting long-term environmental damage [ 8 ].…”