Research on uptake and translocation of cesium and coexisting elements into mushroom by laboratory experiments

There are two major sources of radiocesium in the terrestrial environment: fallout from the atmospheric nuclear weapons tests and from the nuclear power plant accident. In nature, mushrooms tend to accumulate cesium, including radiocesium [1-3]. After the accident of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, radiocesium accumulation in mushrooms from contaminated forests in Japan has been also reported. These mushrooms might be critical local foods for internal radiation doses of the residents. In our previous studies [4, 5], Hebeloma vinosophyllum and Coprinopsis phlyctidospora highly absorbed cesium and coexisting elements (K, Mg, Zn, Cu, etc.) from the medium to mycelia. But the translocation of cesium from mycelia to fruit bodies in these species are not similar. In this study, for comparison the uptake and translocation of radiocesium and coexisting elements in different mushrooms, five species (Favolus arcularius, Lentinula edodes, Coprinopsis cinerea, Alnicola lactariolens and H. vinosophyllum) were cultivated in Ohta’s liquid medium[6] with stable cesium. Concentrations of cesium and coexisting elements in mycelia and fruit bodies were analysed. Their transfer factors and translocation from mycelia to fruit bodies in 5 different species were calculated and discussed