Excessively high levels of cesium-137 have been found in wild mushrooms growing in the Homyel region, the press office of the regional department of the National Center of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Public Health said on Thursday.
Samples of fresh and preserved mushrooms picked across the region, which has been seriously affected by the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear accident, contained up to 10,890 Bq/kg of cesium-137, 29 times above the admissible level, according to the report.
Cesium-137 concentrations exceeding the norm 24 times were found in some samples of dried mushrooms from 17 districts. They contained up to 61,000 Bq/kg of the radioactive isotope.
Excessive levels of cesium-137 were also found in samples of game meat taken in the Kalinkavichy, Petrykaw and Chachersk districts, the press office said. The survey was conducted this past September. More than 2,800 samples of food and water were tested for concentrations of radionuclides.
Almost 600 samples of food products and water were taken from government-controlled companies during the study. No excessive levels of cesium-137 or strontium-90 were found in them, the press office said.
