Determination of natural and anthropogenic radioactivity in mushrooms: Bioconcentration and dose assessment

This paper presents studies on natural and anthropogenic radioactivity determination in different mushroom species (Boletus Aereus, Boletus Edulis, Boletus Aestivalis, Agaricus Arvensis, Cantharellus Lutescens, Cantharellus Cibarius, Leccinum Quercinum, Macrolepiota Konradi, Lactarius Deliciosus) collected in Calabria, southern Italy, aimed at determining 137Cs and 40K content in analyzed samples, evaluating the bioconcentration levels and estimating the annual effective dose for ingestion to mushrooms consumers. For all investigated samples, experimental radioactivity results, obtained through High-Purity Germanium (HPGe) gamma spectrometry, were found to be much lower than the specific activity limit set by the international legislation. Information about radionuclides bioaccumulation were given through the calculation of the bioconcentration factor. The effective dose due to the ingestion of mushrooms by adult members of the population was found to be much lower than the recommended level for the public (1 mSv y−1). Results reported in this paper can provide useful information on the environmental risk and can be further used for a radiological mapping of the studied area.