Radioactive fungus found in Germany decades after Chernobyl disaster
A recent study shows that there are still wild mushrooms in southern Germany contaminated with radioactive cesium decades after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.
The results of the latest study by the German Federal Office for Radiation Protection, published Monday, showed that the mushroom was contaminated with isotopes of "cesium-137", which leaked from the Chernobyl reactor accident in April 1986.
Cancer researchers say cesium-137 can build up in bone tissue and damage genetic material, and in the long run it may lead to bone cancer and leukemia.
Each year, the office examines edible wild mushrooms in eight locations in the southern German state of Bavaria for exposure to radioactive isotopes. The testing locations are concentrated in the Bavarian Mountains, the Mittenwald Forest on the border with Austria, and the Danube swamps in southwest Ingolstadt.
More than 4,000 Becquerels of "cesium-137" per kilogram of mushrooms were detected in some places.
The maximum allowed to be traded in the market is 600 Bq.
However, the health risks are minimal, as radiation exposure is relatively low when wild mushrooms are consumed in normal amounts.
However, the head of the office, Inge Paolini, advised mushroom pickers in Bavaria to eat it in moderation to avoid exposure to radiation.
Follow our latest local and sports news and the latest political and economic developments via Google news