Radiocaesium pollution of fly agaric Amanita muscaria in fruiting bodies decreases with developmental stage

ABSTRACT

Amanita muscaria collected from a forested area in northern Poland in 2015 were analysed for activity concentrations of ¹³⁷Cs and ⁴⁰K. Total K concentration values were calculated from ⁴⁰K data. Mushrooms were grouped in six fruiting bodies size classes regarding to their developmental stage. The ¹³⁷Cs activity concentrations declined in A. muscaria as the fruiting bodies maturated. The contents of ⁴⁰K/K activity remained constant in caps at different developmental stage, while for stipes an increase was around twofold (⁴⁰K from 925 ± 55 Bq kg⁻¹ dry biomass in the baby individuals and 1600 ± 63–1700 ± 53 Bq kg⁻¹ dry biomass in two oldest classes). A. muscaria is a weak accumulator of ¹³⁷Cs, while a steep drop in activity concentrations of this nuclide in the fruiting bodies as they maturate has not been reported earlier for mushrooms. Clearly, a fate of ¹³⁷Cs in A. muscaria is highly different from that of ⁴⁰K/K that is an essential element to fungi. In parallel, an observed increase in the content of ⁴⁰K/K in stipes of fruiting bodies with developmental state can be related to its ‘hardening’ and more fibrous nature with age and basic function to support the cap, but this has not been studied.

KEYWORDS:

• Caesium-137
• potassium-40
• mushrooms
• natural radioactivity
• radioactive pollution

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

ORCID

Jerzy Falandysz http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2547-2496