Contribution of fungi to radiocaesium intake by rural populations in Russia

doi:10.1016/S0048-9697(96)05346-6

Science of The Total Environment

Volume 193, Issue 3, 30 January 1997, Pages 237-242

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0048-9697(96)05346-6 Get rights and content

Abstract

In a study of transfer of Chernobyl radiocaesium to man, dietary surveys and whole body monitoring were conducted at two sites in the Bryansk Region of the Russian Federation. Radiocaesium activity concentrations in wild food products, especially mushrooms, were higher than those in agricultural products. The surveys revealed that consumption of highly contaminated wild mushrooms provided a significant contribution to ingested radiocaesium, accounting for 20–40% of the variability of radiocaesium activity concentrations in rural populations 8–9 years after the 1986 accident. Consumption of mushrooms was also the main reason for a 60–70% mean increase in radiocaesium activity concentrations in humans in autumn. Long term dose assessments after accidental releases of radiocaesium should therefore consider the potential contribution by mushrooms to ingested dose.

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Cited by (40)

Radiocesium in Shiitake mushroom: Accumulation in living fruit bodies and leaching from dead fruit bodies
2021, Chemosphere
In this paper, cesium (Cs) accumulation by the saprophytic fungus Lentinula edodes (Shiitake) was investigated to contribute to the elucidation of radiocesium-cycling mechanisms in forest environments. Although the ¹³⁷Cs in the mushroom bed before culture was bioavailable, the transfer factor (TF) of Cs (¹³³Cs and ¹³⁷Cs) from the mushroom bed to fruit bodies was low (approximately 1) and the TFs of K (5) and Na (1.5) were higher. Cs and K concentrations in fruit bodies at different maturity stages were almost constant. The concentration ratio of Cs/K is constant in the pileus regardless of the pileus tissues. These results demonstrate that Shiitake non-specifically accumulates Cs while accumulating the essential element K and provide evidence that no selective Cs accumulation (or binding) sites exist within the Shiitake fruit body. Furthermore, the present results show that most accumulated Cs quickly leaches out from the dead fruit body with exposure to water. The leached Cs was largely adsorbable on clay minerals, suggesting that the Shiitake fruit body likely contains Cs in the cation form.
Bioremediation approach for treatment of soil contaminated with radiocesium
2021, Cost Effective Technologies for Solid Waste and Wastewater Treatment
Radioactive cesium contamination of the environment due to nuclear weapons testing, nuclear reactor accidents, and past waste disposal practices at nuclear facilities is a major concern. Much attention is given to ¹³⁷Cs because of its γ-radiation, long half-life, and solubility in water. Cs contamination of the soils at Chernobyl and Fukushima was mainly confined to the topsoil layer. Several remediation methods such as physical (soil excavation), chemical extraction, and bioremediation using plants and microorganisms have been proposed. To date, no cost-effective techniques for cleaning the soils contaminated with cesium have been found. Microorganisms play a key role in the transformations of toxic metals and radionuclides in contaminated soils and wastes. In this chapter, we review the potential bioremediation of Cs contamination using microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, mycorrhizae, and algae and microbial by-products.
<sup>137</sup>Cs in mushrooms from Croatia sampled 15–30 years after Chernobyl
2018, Journal of Environmental Radioactivity
Citation Excerpt :
Boletus mushrooms express high affinity for Cs (Heinrich, 1993; Kammerer et al., 1994; Toal et al., 2002; Vinichuk and Johanson, 2003; Řanda and Kučera, 2004), while some studies declare Hydnum repandum as one of the greatest Cs accumulators among mushrooms (Heinrich, 1993; Kammerer et al., 1994; García et al., 2015). As emphasized in previous studies (Mietelski et al., 1994; Shutov et al., 1996; Skuterud et al., 1997; Kalač, 2001), it should be indicated that in case of elevated 137Cs activity in mushrooms, the annual dose due to their consumption should not be neglected. A total of 55 samples of 14 different mushroom species were collected during 2012 and 2016.
The aim of this study was to select species with higher potential to accumulate ¹³⁷Cs among the available mushroom species, by determining the activity concentrations of ¹³⁷Cs in mushrooms collected along north and north-western part of Croatia. A total of 55 samples of 14 different species were analyzed and the potential of mycorrhizal and saprotrophic species to accumulate ¹³⁷Cs was compared. A wide range of the dry weight activity concentrations of ¹³⁷Cs was detected, ranging from 0.95 to 1210 Bq/kg (154 Bq/kg mean value; 52.3 Bq/kg geometric mean) in mycorrhizal and 1.05–36.8 Bq/kg (8.90 Bq/kg mean value; 5.49 Bq/kg geometric mean) in saprotrophic species. Statistical analyses showed that mycorrhizal species accumulate significantly higher concentrations of ¹³⁷Cs and thus could perform better as long-term bioindicators of environmental pollution by radiocaesium then saprotrophic species. The comparison of Boletus sp. and Hydnum repandum (both mycorrhizal species commonly found in Croatia) showed, in general order of magnitude, higher accumulation in Hydnum repandum. Clearly, mushrooms, especially mycorrhizal species, can be used as significant indicators even decades after the occurrence of any serious ¹³⁷Cs contamination event. However, as a wide range of values indicates that various parameters may influence the total uptake of the ¹³⁷Cs into the mushroom fruit bodies, it is necessary to emphasize that ¹³⁷Cs activity detected in a single mushroom sample is very site-specific.
Thirty years after the Chernobyl accident: What lessons have we learnt?
2016, Journal of Environmental Radioactivity
April 2016 sees the 30^th anniversary of the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. As a consequence of the accident populations were relocated in Belarus, Russia and Ukraine and remedial measures were put in place to reduce the entry of contaminants (primarily ^134+137Cs) into the human food chain in a number of countries throughout Europe. Remedial measures are still today in place in a number of countries, and areas of the former Soviet Union remain abandoned.
The Chernobyl accident led to a large resurgence in radioecological studies both to aid remediation and to be able to make future predictions on the post-accident situation, but, also in recognition that more knowledge was required to cope with future accidents. In this paper we discuss, what in the authors' opinions, were the advances made in radioecology as a consequence of the Chernobyl accident.
The areas we identified as being significantly advanced following Chernobyl were: the importance of semi-natural ecosystems in human dose formation; the characterisation and environmental behaviour of ‘hot particles'; the development and application of countermeasures; the “fixation” and long term bioavailability of radiocaesium and; the effects of radiation on plants and animals.
Radioactivity in mushrooms: A health hazard?
2014, Food Chemistry
Citation Excerpt :
Their contents in mushrooms can pose a health hazard, as has occurred in areas heavily contaminated by radioactive fallout (e.g., those affected by the Chernobyl accident) since they are higher than in other foodstuffs, in particular forest products such as bilberries (Horyna, 1991; IAEA, 2006; Mietelski & Jasinska, 1996; Skuterud, Travnikova, Balonov, Strand, & Howard, 1997). In areas affected by the Chernobyl fallout, the consumption of wild mushrooms led to increased body content of radiocaesium in the population, which also showed a seasonal trend linked to the fructification of mushrooms, being higher in autumn (Shutov et al., 1996; Skuterud et al., 1997). The initial recommendation to prohibit their consumption was one of the most successful actions reducing the received dose by the population in areas with significant Chernobyl fallout (Jacob et al., 2001; Shaw et al., 2001).
Mushrooms are a complementary foodstuff and considered to be consumed locally. The demand for mushrooms has increased in recent years, and the mushroom trade is becoming global. Mushroom origin is frequently obscured from the consumer. Mushrooms are considered excellent bioindicators of environmental pollution. The accumulation of radionuclides by mushrooms, which are then consumed by humans or livestock, can pose a radiological hazard. Many studies have addressed the radionuclide content in mushrooms, almost exclusively the radiocaesium content. There is a significant lack of data about their content from some of the main producer countries. An exhaustive review was carried out in order to identify which radionuclide might constitute a health hazard, and the factors conditioning it. Regulatory values for the different radionuclides were used. The worldwide range for radiocaesium, ²²⁶Ra, ²¹⁰Pb, and ²¹⁰Po surpasses those values. Appropriate radiological protection requires that the content of those radionuclides in mushrooms should be monitored.
The <sup>137</sup>Cs accumulation by forest-derived products in the Gomel region
2014, Journal of Environmental Radioactivity
Citation Excerpt :
The 137Cs contents in wild berries and mushrooms are higher than those in milk and other agricultural produce because of higher accumulation coefficient values (Shandala et al., 2009). The consumption of mushrooms effects an increase in the radiocesium activity in the rural population in autumn (Skuterud et al., 1997) and contributes greatly to the urban population's radiation load (Mehli and Strand, 1998). In the Russian Federation wild berries and mushrooms provide up to 60–70% of the radiocesium incorporated activity of the adult population that harvest and consume these forest foods (Shutov et al., 1996).
This paper reports basic features of the ¹³⁷Cs uptake by forest-derived products in the Gomel region. Even with the soil contamination density of 37 kBq m⁻² the radionuclide contents in 20–30% of mushrooms and berries were found to be higher than the admissible levels. The ¹³⁷Cs contamination density of soil, site type and meteorological parameters were observed as the major factors which govern the radiocaesium uptake by mushrooms and berries. The ¹³⁷Cs contents in forest-derived products were found to increase directly with the soil contamination density. Bilberries (Vaccinium myrtillus) growing on different site types differed significantly in the ¹³⁷Cs content. It was also determined that statistically significant differences in the ¹³⁷Cs radioactivity of forest foods growing on different natural sites were governed by the factor designated in the current study by “territorial”. The differences are to be accounted for both by forms of the Chernobyl fallout and by the natural and climatic conditions determining variations in the availability of radionuclides in the soil. In dry years the ¹³⁷Cs concentrations in some mushroom species were higher than in normal years.

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Contribution of fungi to radiocaesium intake by rural populations in Russia

Abstract

Caesium 137 burdens in Swedish Laplanders and reindeer

Acta Radiol.

Caesium-137 in Alaskan Eskimos

Science

Comments on radionuclides in aquatic ecosystems

Radiocaesium and potassium in Norwegians

Nature

Predictions for the duration of the Chernobyl radiocaesium problem in non-cultivated areas based on a reassessment of the behaviour of fallout from nuclear weapons tests

Transfer of radiocaesium to ruminants in natural and semi-natural ecosystems and appropriate countermeasures

Health Phys.

Importance of diet and protective actions of internal dose from 137Cs radionuclides in inhabitants of the Chernobyl region

Transfer of radionuclides to animals, their comparative importance under different agricultural ecosystems and appropriate countermeasures

Importance of diet and protective actions of internal dose from ¹³⁷Cs radionuclides in inhabitants of the Chernobyl region