Folks in Sweden enjoy foraging. Many Swedes spend days in the woods collecting berries, mushrooms, and plants. But here’s a twist. This year’s gleanings may help scientists analyze radioactive fallout in the Scandinavian country’s soil—38 years after an infamous nuclear blast.
On April 26, 1986, the world’s worst nuclear disaster to date occurred. Faulty design and poorly trained technicians caused a huge explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in northern Ukraine. Ukraine then was a part of the Soviet Union. Dozens of people died or were injured in the aftermath.
The Soviet government under Mikhail Gorbachev tried to cover up the incident. But radioactive dust and debris, or “fallout,” from Chernobyl quickly spread across Europe in contaminated air.
Over 600 miles away, Swedish authorities detected the fallout. Their discovery forced Soviet officials to admit to the accident.
Today, the formerly Soviet town lies inside independent Ukraine’s borders. Some 1,000 square miles around Chernobyl remain unsafe for human residence, though some animals seem to thrive there.
Cesium is the key radioactive material released during a nuclear accident. Cesium can build up in the human body, and high levels are a health risk. It can also build up in the spongy tissues of mushrooms.
Researchers want to know how much radioactivity still exists in Sweden. They’re seeking help from devotees of a traditional Swedish pastime: mushroom gathering.
The Swedish Radiation Safety Authority (SRSA) plans to test samples of this year’s mushroom harvest. Researchers are asking fungi foragers to submit part of their harvest to SRSA. They’re also hoping folks will divulge where they found their spongy bounty.
Mushroom-hunters are asked to send in double-bagged edible specimens. Each sample should be at least 3.53 ounces of fresh mushrooms or 0.71 ounces of dried mushrooms picked in 2024.
Those fungi will offer information about how much radiation remains in the soil.
For Swedish gatherers, there’s one catch to the SRSA plan: Locations of certain cherished fungi can be closely guarded family secrets. To encourage cooperation, scientists say foragers aren’t required to reveal precisely where they find the most sought-after mushrooms—golden chanterelles.
“It doesn’t have to be the exact location of the most secret chanterelle spot,” says Pål Andersson, an SRSA investigator. Of course, the mystery could cause headaches for researchers, who depend on precise details.
Still, scientists hope the submitted samples will help them map levels of Cesium-137 in Swedish soil, providing valuable data for dealing with disaster.
Then shall the trees of the forest sing for joy before the Lord. . . . Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His steadfast love endures forever! — I Chronicles 16:33-34
Why? God made even the spores of the forest to be valuable—and to provide information about the environmental changes.
