The influence of cooking on radiocesium contamination of edible mushrooms

Radiocesium concentration in some kinds of edible mushrooms collected in October 1990 has been determined to evaluate the radiocesium activity 5 years after Chernobyl accident. The highest activity was found in Xerocomus subtomentosus (1080.5 Bq/kg of fresh weight), then in Rozites caperata (768.5 Bq/kg) and Xerocomus badius (562.5 Bq/kg); the lowest - in Suillus luteus (52.0 Bq/kg) and Cantharellus cibarius (63.0 Bq/kg). Studies on the influence of cooking on radiocesium activity revealed that parboiling and boiling of mushrooms led to high, even 85% losses of radiocesium in the product. Samples of Xerocomus badius collected in various sites of North-East Poland in 1995 averaged to 195.4 ± 125.5 Bq/kg of fresh weight. (author)