Long-term Transfer of 137-Cs from Soil to Mushrooms in a Semi-natural Environment

The radioactive contamination following the Chernobyl accident resulted in high concentrations of Cs-137 in several mushrooms species. Mushroom samples were collected in a forest environment between 1986 and 2007 and the transfer of Cs-137 to two edible species, Suillus variegatus and Cantharellus spp., was investigated. The Cs-137 uptake by the collected samples did not decrease over time and in Cantharellus spp. a significant increase was observed. Most of the Cs-137 in soil still appears to be available for uptake and radioactive decay of the radionuclide is likely the main factor for the reduction of Cs-137 in a forest ecosystem.