Spatial risk assessment of radiocesium contamination of edible mushrooms - Lessons from a highly frequented recreational area

Irradiated and radioactively contaminated foods: Analysis of EU RASFF notifications from 1997 to 2022

Food irradiation technique is an authorized tool used on a commercial scale in many countries to preserve different types of foodstuffs from deterioration caused by microorganisms, insects, and metabolic activity to prolong their shelf life without leaving any residual effect on processed foods, unlike preservatives and pesticides. This study was carried out to analyse the EU Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) notifications on food radiation from 1997 to 2022 in order to identify the most frequently reported products, their origin countries and associated reasons for notification, as well as the most notifying countries, product categories, notification classification, risk decisions, and actions taken. A total of 488 notifications were recorded during this time period. China was the most frequently notified origin country, accounting for 19.88% of all notifications, followed by the United States (11.68%), Russia (7.99%), Vietnam (7.17%), and Poland (5.53%). The top notified product categories were "dietetic foods, food supplements, and fortified foods" (37.09%), followed by fruits and vegetables (23.16%), herbs and spices (8.81%), and prepared dishes and snacks (5.53%). The top 5 notified products were food supplements (25.00%), mushrooms (20.70%), noodles (7.58%), tea (4.51%), and spices (3.69%). The four main reasons for food radiation notifications were unauthorized irradiation (57.58%), too high levels of radioactivity (22.34%), unlabeled irradiation (19.47%), and unauthorized facilities (14.96%). Too many notifications included more than one reason for the notification. Out of 109 notifications related to too-high levels of radioactivity (up to 10755 Bq/kg), 101 were due to the presence of 137Cs, 134Cs, 60Co, and 48Cd in mushrooms, mainly originating from Poland (25), Bulgaria (24), Ukraine (15), and Belarus (12). Such studies provide the necessary data to ensure food safety and encourage countries to implement comprehensive procedures to protect consumers health.

Ecological Half-Life of 137Cs in Fungi

The ecological half-life of 137Cs was calculated individually for four symbiotrophic fungi species (Boletus edulis, Imleria badia, Suillus luteus, Paxillus involutus) at 10 sampling sites in the Chornobyl exclusion zone and in the Kyiv region. It was found that the maximum rate of excretion of 137Cs from the fungi organisms is characteristic for the territory with the maximum levels of soil contamination, i.e., for a zone near Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant. In areas with low 137Cs content, a slowing down of the excretion rate predominates. These results reveal different fungal response to the distinct concentration levels of 137Cs in forest ecosystems. This observation further suggests that radiocaesium can be selectively accumulated by fungi and used in their life processes. Presence of this 137Cs retention mechanism in fungi leads to a longer contamination of woody plants-symbionts.

Edible Mushrooms for Sustainable and Healthy Human Food: Nutritional and Medicinal Attributes

Global food production faces many challenges, including climate change, a water crisis, land degradation, and desertification. These challenges require research into non-traditional sources of human foods. Edible mushrooms are considered an important next-generation healthy food source. Edible mushrooms are rich in proteins, dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other bioactive components (alkaloids, lactones, polysaccharides, polyphenolic compounds, sesquiterpenes, sterols, and terpenoids). Several bioactive ingredients can be extracted from edible mushrooms and incorporated into health-promoting supplements. It has been suggested that several human diseases can be treated with extracts from edible mushrooms, as these extracts have biological effects including anticancer, antidiabetic, antiviral, antioxidant, hepatoprotective, immune-potentiating, and hypo-cholesterolemic influences. The current study focuses on sustainable approaches for handling edible mushrooms and their secondary metabolites, including biofortification. Comparisons between edible and poisonous mushrooms, as well as the common species of edible mushrooms and their different bioactive ingredients, are crucial. Nutritional values and the health benefits of edible mushrooms, as well as different biomedical applications, have been also emphasized. Further research is needed to explore the economic sustainability of different medicinal mushroom bioactive compound extracts and their potential applications against emerging diseases such as COVID-19. New approaches such as nano-biofortification are also needed to supply edible mushrooms with essential nutrients and/or to increase their bioactive ingredients.

Green Synthesis of Nanoparticles by Mushrooms: A Crucial Dimension for Sustainable Soil Management

Soil is the main component in the agroecosystem besides water, microbial communities, and cultivated plants. Several problems face soil, including soil pollution, erosion, salinization, and degradation on a global level. Many approaches have been applied to overcome these issues, such as phyto-, bio-, and nanoremediation through different soil management tools. Mushrooms can play a vital role in the soil through bio-nanoremediation, especially under the biological synthesis of nanoparticles, which could be used in the bioremediation process. This review focuses on the green synthesis of nanoparticles using mushrooms and the potential of bio-nanoremediation for polluted soils. The distinguished roles of mushrooms of soil improvement are considered a crucial dimension for sustainable soil management, which may include controlling soil erosion, improving soil aggregates, increasing soil organic matter content, enhancing the bioavailability of soil nutrients, and resorting to damaged and/or polluted soils. The field of bio-nanoremediation using mushrooms still requires further investigation, particularly regarding the sustainable management of soils.