Radioactivity in wild-growing mushrooms of the Calabria region, south of Italy

Wild-growing mushrooms are a complementary foodstuff, widely consumed as a delicacy, in Italy. They are considered excellent bioindicators of environmental pollution and the accumulation of radionuclides can pose a radiological hazard. Cs-137 and K-40 activity concentrations were measured through HPGe gamma-spectrometry in different mushroom species (Agaricus arvensis, Leccinum quercinum, Boletus aereus, Lactarius deliciosus, Boletus edulis, Macrolepiota konradii, Cantharellus lutescens) collected from four different sampling sites in the Calabria region, south of Italy. Experimental values were found to be in the range from (0.3 +/- 0.1) Bq/kgf.m. (fresh mass) to (73.1 +/- 4.6) Bq/kgf.m. for Cs-137 and from (46.9 +/- 10.7) Bq/kgf.m. to (161.3 +/- 12.9) Bq/kgf.m. for K-40, respectively. All values were much lower than the specific activity limit set by the international legislation at 600Bq/kgf.m. for Cs-137 and at 1,258Bq/kgf.m. for K-40, respectively. Experimental activity concentrations allowed us to determine the effective dose due to the ingestion of mushrooms by adult members of the population. It was found in the range from 0.25 to 1.35Sv/y, much lower than the recommended level for the public (1mSv/y). Data obtained in this article provide useful information on the environmental risk and can be further used for a radiological mapping of the studied area.