Most wild mushrooms collected in Germany in recent years still showed radioactive contamination from the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. But the country’s food safety agency says most samples did not contain radiation levels above legal limits. In 1986, a reactor at Ukraine’s Chernobyl nuclear power center exploded and caught fire. The accident -- the world’s worst nuclear disaster -- sent huge amounts of radiation into the air. It sent radioactive particles across large parts of Europe. Investigators at Germany’s Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety, or BVL, tested many different kinds of mushrooms. They measured levels of two kinds of radioactive isotopes -- cesium-137 and cesium-134. The isotopes are byproducts of the production process in nuclear reactors. Of the mushrooms tested that are marketed to humans, none contained levels above the legal limit of 600 becquerels of radiation per kilogram, the BVL reported. A becquerel is a unit of radioactive measurement. Some additional mushrooms that grow in the wild were tested and shown to have levels above 1,000 becquerels of cesium-137 radiation per kilogram in the last three years, the country’s Office for Radiation Protection reports. It urged individuals seeking to limit radiation exposure not to self-pick wild mushrooms in affected areas. The agency noted, however, that even if a person ate 200 grams of mushrooms with 3,000 becquerels of cesium-137 per kilogram, this would be about equal to the radiation exposure received during a flight from Germany to Spain. Higher radioactivity levels in mushrooms were found in southern Germany, especially in Southern Bavaria and the Bavarian Forest, the BVL said. Officials said the radioactive material stays in forests so long because those environments recycle nutrients very effectively. This means that wild mushrooms show contamination levels for much longer periods than other agricultural products. Concern about the long-term effects of nuclear disasters has fueled public opposition to nuclear power in Germany. The country decided to halt its nuclear power industry in 2011, shortly after the accident at Japan's Fukushima nuclear power center.
Title: German Mushrooms Still Contain Radiation Linked to Chernobyl Disaster
Content: <div id='article-page'><div id='article-content' data-media-url='//news-app-staging.s3.amazonaws.com' data-base-url='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5341/A.wav' data-capture-url='//staging.analytics.lingraphica.com/events/capture_news' data-article-title='German Mushrooms Still Contain Radiation Linked to Chernobyl Disaster' data-article-id='5931'><script src='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/javascripts/getscripts.js'></script><link rel='stylesheet' href='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/stylesheets/article.css' type='text/css' /><div class='article'><p><span data-start-time='0' data-end-time='13604'>Most wild mushrooms collected in Germany in recent years still showed radioactive contamination from the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. </span> <span data-start-time='13604' data-end-time='26313'>But the country’s food safety agency says most samples did not contain radiation levels above legal limits.</span> <span data-start-time='26313' data-end-time='36938'>In 1986, a reactor at Ukraine’s Chernobyl nuclear power center exploded and caught fire. </span> <span data-start-time='36938' data-end-time='46333'>The accident -- the world’s worst nuclear disaster -- sent huge amounts of radiation into the air. </span> <span data-start-time='46333' data-end-time='53688'>It sent radioactive particles across large parts of Europe.</span> <span data-start-time='53688' data-end-time='67229'>Investigators at Germany’s Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety, or BVL, tested many different kinds of mushrooms. </span> <span data-start-time='67229' data-end-time='78708'>They measured levels of two kinds of radioactive isotopes -- cesium-137 and cesium-134. </span> <span data-start-time='78708' data-end-time='86875'>The isotopes are byproducts of the production process in nuclear reactors.</span> <span data-start-time='86875' data-end-time='103479'>Of the mushrooms tested that are marketed to humans, none contained levels above the legal limit of 600 becquerels of radiation per kilogram, the BVL reported. </span> <span data-start-time='103479' data-end-time='108833'>A becquerel is a unit of radioactive measurement.</span> <span data-start-time='108833' data-end-time='131563'>Some additional mushrooms that grow in the wild were tested and shown to have levels above 1,000 becquerels of cesium-137 radiation per kilogram in the last three years, the country’s Office for Radiation Protection reports. </span> <span data-start-time='131563' data-end-time='143021'>It urged individuals seeking to limit radiation exposure not to self-pick wild mushrooms in affected areas.</span> <span data-start-time='143021' data-end-time='166583'>The agency noted, however, that even if a person ate 200 grams of mushrooms with 3,000 becquerels of cesium-137 per kilogram, this would be about equal to the radiation exposure received during a flight from Germany to Spain.</span> <span data-start-time='166583' data-end-time='180667'>Higher radioactivity levels in mushrooms were found in southern Germany, especially in Southern Bavaria and the Bavarian Forest, the BVL said.</span> <span data-start-time='180667' data-end-time='193979'>Officials said the radioactive material stays in forests so long because those environments recycle nutrients very effectively. </span> <span data-start-time='193979' data-end-time='204458'>This means that wild mushrooms show contamination levels for much longer periods than other agricultural products.</span> <span data-start-time='204458' data-end-time='215625'>Concern about the long-term effects of nuclear disasters has fueled public opposition to nuclear power in Germany. </span> <span data-start-time='215625' data-end-time='229167'>The country decided to halt its nuclear power industry in 2011, shortly after the accident at Japan's Fukushima nuclear power center.</span> </p></div><div class='control-buttons-sticky' 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data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5341/to_ride_a_bicycle_in_a_particular_direction.wav'><span>to ride a bicycle in a particular direction</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5341/to_use_something_again_for_a_different_purpose.wav'><span>to use something again for a different purpose</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5341/to_plunge_head_first_into_water.wav'><span>to plunge head first into water</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5341/to_go_to_a_website.wav'><span>to go to a website</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=18163 data-hint-location='26313' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5341/in_which_country_did_the_chernobyl_nuclear_power_center_explode.wav'>In which country did the Chernobyl nuclear power center explode?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='Ukraine'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5341/ukraine.wav'><span>Ukraine</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5341/estonia.wav'><span>Estonia</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5341/sweden.wav'><span>Sweden</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5341/poland.wav'><span>Poland</span></div></div></div><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=18164 data-hint-location='215625' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5341/the_country_decided_to_halt_its_nuclear_power_industry_in_2011_shortly_after_the_accident_at_japans_fukushima_nuclear__blank__center.wav'>The country decided to halt its nuclear power industry in 2011, shortly after the accident at Japan's Fukushima nuclear <span class='blank'>power</span> center.</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='power'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5341/powder.wav'><span>powder</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5341/power.wav'><span>power</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5341/plow.wav'><span>plow</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5341/pool.wav'><span>pool</span></div></div></div><div class='question-buttons'><button 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