Traces of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster are still evident in wild mushrooms, according to a recent study by Finland's radiation and nuclear safety authority STUK.
Its findings were based on 875 samples spanning 60 musrhoom species, collected last year. They suggest that radioactive residues, though diminished, are still detectable 40 years after the accident in 1986.
The measurements showed that concentrations of radioactive cesium in mushrooms have declined as expected. Fewer than ten percent of samples exceeded the recommended food safety limit of 600 becquerels per kilo for wild products.
Radioactivity levels, however, vary by species and region. Unsurprisingly, the highest concentrations were recorded in places that received the heaviest fallout from the Chernobyl meltdown — Kymenlaakso, Pirkanmaa and Päijät-Häme.
The nuclear watchdog emphasised that Finland's wild mushrooms are safe to eat.
It noted that even the most radioactive varieties would need to be consumed in quantities of around 12 kilos to deliver a radiation dose comparable to that of a Helsinki-New York flight.
