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. 2025 Jul 17;13(7):601.
doi: 10.3390/toxics13070601.

Forty Years After Chernobyl: Radiocaesium in Wild Edible Mushrooms from North-Eastern Poland and Its Relevance for Dietary Exposure and Food Safety

Iwona Mirończuk-Chodakowska  1 , Jacek Kapała  2 , Karolina Kujawowicz  1 , Monika Sejbuk  1 , Anna Maria Witkowska  1
Affiliations

Forty Years After Chernobyl: Radiocaesium in Wild Edible Mushrooms from North-Eastern Poland and Its Relevance for Dietary Exposure and Food Safety

Iwona Mirończuk-Chodakowska et al. Toxics. .

Abstract

Wild-growing edible mushrooms are known to bioaccumulate radionuclides from their environment, particularly the natural isotope potassium-40 (40K) and anthropogenic cesium-137 (137Cs). However, region-specific data for commercially relevant species in north-eastern Poland remain limited, despite the cultural and economic importance of mushroom foraging and export. This study aimed to assess the radiological safety of wild mushrooms intended for human consumption, with particular attention to regulatory compliance and potential exposure levels. In this study, 230 mushroom samples representing 19 wild edible species were analyzed using gamma spectrometry, alongside composite soil samples collected from corresponding foraging sites. The activity concentration of 137Cs in mushrooms ranged from 0.94 to 159.0 Bq/kg fresh mass (f.m.), and that of 40K from 64.4 to 150.2 Bq/kg f.m. None of the samples exceeded the regulatory limit of 1250 Bq/kg f.m. for 137Cs. The highest estimated annual effective dose was 2.32 µSv from 137Cs and 0.93 µSv from 40K, with no exceedance of regulatory limits observed in any sample. A strong positive correlation was observed between 137Cs activity in soil and mushroom dry mass (Spearman's Rho = 0.81, p = 0.042), supporting predictable transfer patterns. Additionally, the implications of mushroom drying were assessed considering Council Regulation (Euratom) 2016/52, which mandates radionuclide levels in dried products be evaluated based on their reconstituted form. After such adjustment, even the most contaminated dried samples were found to comply with food safety limits. These findings confirm the radiological safety of wild mushrooms from north-eastern Poland and contribute novel data for a region with limited prior monitoring, in the context of current food safety regulations.

Keywords: cesium-137; dietary exposure; food; potassium-40; soil; wild mushrooms.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
A map of the study area [33]: (1) Hajnówka, (2) Michałowo, (3) Narew, (4) Narewka, (5) Nowinka, (6) Supraśl.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Mean activity concentration of 137Cs in soil samples collected from six municipalities in north-eastern Poland, with standard deviations indicated.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Mean activity concentration of 40K in soil samples collected from six municipalities in north-eastern Poland, with standard deviations indicated.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Variability in 137Cs activity [Bq/kg dry mass] by mushroom species.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Variability in 40K activity [Bq/kg dry mass] among mushroom species.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Relationship between 40K and 137Cs activity in d.m. of mushrooms (logarithmic scale).
Figure 7
Figure 7
Relationship between 40K and 137Cs activity in f.m. of mushrooms (logarithmic scale).
Figure 8
Figure 8
Analysis of 40K activity in dry mass depending on the collection location.
Figure 9
Figure 9
Analysis of 137Cs activity in dry mass depending on collection location.
Figure 10
Figure 10
40 K activity in soils from the studied locations: (1) Hajnówka, (2) Michałowo, (3) Narew, (4) Narewka, (5) Nowinka, (6) Supraśl.
Figure 11
Figure 11
137Cs activity in soils from the studied locations: (1) Hajnówka, (2) Michałowo, (3) Narew, (4) Narewka, (5) Nowinka, (6) Supraśl.
Figure 12
Figure 12
Correlation between 137Cs activity concentrations in soil and mushrooms (dry mass) collected from different locations in north-eastern Poland.
Figure 13
Figure 13
Correlation between 40K activity concentrations in soil and mushrooms (dry mass) collected from different locations in north-eastern Poland.
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