Safety & Toxicity

·

Review

Some Wild Mushrooms Soak Up Radioactive Contaminants

Some Wild Mushrooms Soak Up Radioactive Contaminants

What they found

A large review shows some mushrooms, especially mycorrhizal ones, accumulate cesium-137 and plutonium far above other foods.

A large review shows some mushrooms, especially mycorrhizal ones, accumulate cesium-137 and plutonium far above other foods.

How solid is it?

Review

Review

Narrative review

Narrative review

Evidence ladder: Lab dish → Animal → Early human → Strong human. Reviews summarize earlier research.

At a glance

Latin name

Compound

cesium-137; plutonium

cesium-137; plutonium

Published in

Covered in Shroom Scan

Section

ECOLOGY & CONSERVATION

ECOLOGY & CONSERVATION

As it ran in Shroom Scan

Radioactive Sponges

Radioactive Sponges

Mushrooms are exceptionally good at absorbing radioactive contaminants from soil, especially cesium-137 and plutonium, which is why they’re widely used as bioindicators after nuclear accidents. This large review shows that some species, particularly mycorrhizal mushrooms, can accumulate radionuclides at levels far higher than other foods, with consumption in certain regions potentially exceeding safety thresholds, even decades after contamination.

Mushrooms are exceptionally good at absorbing radioactive contaminants from soil, especially cesium-137 and plutonium, which is why they’re widely used as bioindicators after nuclear accidents. This large review shows that some species, particularly mycorrhizal mushrooms, can accumulate radionuclides at levels far higher than other foods, with consumption in certain regions potentially exceeding safety thresholds, even decades after contamination.

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