Sweden's strong foraging culture could help determine how much radioactive fallout remains in the Scandinavian country 38 years after the Chernobyl nuclear explosion .
The Swedish Radiation Safety Authority has asked mushroom-pickers to send samples of this season's harvest for testing. The goal of the measurement project is to map the levels of Cesium-137 in mushrooms, which can absorb the isotope from soil, and see how much remains after the April 26, 1986 disaster at the Soviet nuclear power plant in what is now Ukraine.
Cesium, the key radioactive material released in the fallout, has a half-life of some 30 years. It can build up in the body, and high levels are thought to be a risk.
The radiation watchdog is counting on the foraging lifestyle in Sweden, which is covered by more than 60% of forest, to aid its research. In late summer, many Swedes spend days in the woods collecting berries, mushrooms and plants.
It's asking foragers where they found their bounty - though they don't have to disclose the exact whereabouts of the prized golden chanterelle mushroom.
