Scientists Finally Know Why Germany's Wild Boar Are Surprisingly Radioactive (msn.com) 54
An anonymous reader shared this report from the Washington Post:
On April 26, 1986, the infamous explosion at a Chernobyl nuclear power plant unleashed large amounts of radiation into the atmosphere, an event that contaminated wildlife across country lines. The radiation levels seen in animals as a result has decreased in recent years — with the exception of one animal: the wild boar. For years, scientists questioned why levels of a radioactive isotope known as cesium-137 have remained surprisingly high in wild boars rooting around Germany and Austria, while decreasing in other deer and roe deer. In a new study released last week, a team of researchers finally solved this "wild boar paradox."
They uncovered that the main radioactive source is not the Chernobyl accident but nuclear weapons testing from the 1960s...
Radioactive cesium results from both nuclear weapons explosion and nuclear energy production. The element comes in different isotopic composition, cesium-135 and cesium-137, depending on the source. By analyzing the ratio of these amounts, the researchers can pinpoint the source of the radiation... In the nearly 50 collected meat samples, the team found 88 percent of the samples were above Germany's regulatory limits for radioactive cesium in food. Calculating the ratio of cesium isotopes in the samples, they found that nuclear weapons testing accounted for 10 to 68 percent of the contamination. Even if the Chernobyl accident had never happened, "some of the wild boars would actually still exceed the regulatory limits for food safety limits only because of the weapons tests today," said Georg Steinhauser, a radiochemist at TU Wien and author of the new study. "I think this is pretty mind-blowing because they were 60 years ago."
Steinhauser said the wild boars probably ingested the cesium from contaminated deer truffle mushrooms, which they dig up and eat during the winter when corn and acorns on the ground are scarce. Cesium seeps through the soil and is absorbed by the mushrooms, as if it were a nutrient. This also explains why observations show radioactivity levels in wild boar are higher in the winter. While cesium from both the nuclear weapons testing and the Chernobyl accident spread through the soil, Steinhauser said, the mushrooms appear to have fully absorbed the source from the nuclear weapons testing so far. Cesium seeps very slowly through the soil, sometimes only one millimeter per year, he said. Deer truffles, located between 20 and 40 centimeters, have already absorbed the "older" cesium from six decades ago. The "younger" cesium from Chernobyl has likely not fully integrated or is just now integrating at the soil depths where the mushrooms are located. But it could be bad news when the cesium from Chernobyl does reach the mushrooms — radioactivity levels could go up higher.
The study's author says his study isn't arguing for or against the use of nuclear energy — but does say that "it has to be done responsibly." He calls the study's results "a cautionary tale that we have to take good care of our environment," said Steinhauser. "Once released, a radioactive substance can never be unreleased again — and nature doesn't forget."
They uncovered that the main radioactive source is not the Chernobyl accident but nuclear weapons testing from the 1960s...
Radioactive cesium results from both nuclear weapons explosion and nuclear energy production. The element comes in different isotopic composition, cesium-135 and cesium-137, depending on the source. By analyzing the ratio of these amounts, the researchers can pinpoint the source of the radiation... In the nearly 50 collected meat samples, the team found 88 percent of the samples were above Germany's regulatory limits for radioactive cesium in food. Calculating the ratio of cesium isotopes in the samples, they found that nuclear weapons testing accounted for 10 to 68 percent of the contamination. Even if the Chernobyl accident had never happened, "some of the wild boars would actually still exceed the regulatory limits for food safety limits only because of the weapons tests today," said Georg Steinhauser, a radiochemist at TU Wien and author of the new study. "I think this is pretty mind-blowing because they were 60 years ago."
Steinhauser said the wild boars probably ingested the cesium from contaminated deer truffle mushrooms, which they dig up and eat during the winter when corn and acorns on the ground are scarce. Cesium seeps through the soil and is absorbed by the mushrooms, as if it were a nutrient. This also explains why observations show radioactivity levels in wild boar are higher in the winter. While cesium from both the nuclear weapons testing and the Chernobyl accident spread through the soil, Steinhauser said, the mushrooms appear to have fully absorbed the source from the nuclear weapons testing so far. Cesium seeps very slowly through the soil, sometimes only one millimeter per year, he said. Deer truffles, located between 20 and 40 centimeters, have already absorbed the "older" cesium from six decades ago. The "younger" cesium from Chernobyl has likely not fully integrated or is just now integrating at the soil depths where the mushrooms are located. But it could be bad news when the cesium from Chernobyl does reach the mushrooms — radioactivity levels could go up higher.
The study's author says his study isn't arguing for or against the use of nuclear energy — but does say that "it has to be done responsibly." He calls the study's results "a cautionary tale that we have to take good care of our environment," said Steinhauser. "Once released, a radioactive substance can never be unreleased again — and nature doesn't forget."
Re:Explosion (Score:4, Insightful)
Its not really about whether you believe it or not. Radioactive particles are equisitely traceable by looking at the isotope ratios. So we can actually give a definitive answer.
Chenobyl put out very specific particles. So do nuclear explosions, and they are very different. Specifically the ratio of 135^Cs to 137^Cs Caesium tells us that the principle source of radioactive caesium was from nuclear testing in the 1960s..
Now the key word here is "principle" source, not "exclusive" source. Ther IS caesium from Chenobyl in these pigs. but its somewhat under 40% according to the isotope ratios.
With that said, God knows what people was doing testing nuke bombs (presumably hydrogen ones, being it was the 60s) in mainland central europe. That seems an horrifying way to manage limited farm land.
Re:Explosion (Score:4, Informative)
With that said, God knows what people was doing testing nuke bombs (presumably hydrogen ones, being it was the 60s) in mainland central europe. That seems an horrifying way to manage limited farm land.
Because there have not been any nuclear bomb testings in Europe. Well, not Western Europe anyway. Russia did some limited nuclear testing in the Ukraine (not military but like the US Plowshare program), which is also Europe.
The bulk of this contamination is fallout from all the other nuclear tests.
Re: (Score:2)
Thats probably where it would come from then. Actually shit, I wouldn't be surprised if Tsar Bomba was a significant source. That mess is pretty much the reason why we cant do tree ring CO2 measurements after about 1950
Re: (Score:2)
It messed up carbon dating for everyone.
It also messed up steel production. Medical scanners often use old steel because the new stuff generates too much interference.
Re: (Score:2, Informative)
The term you're after is Low Background Steel https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]
Re: (Score:3)
Chenobyl put out very specific particles. So do nuclear explosions
Which is why wines and other high end items can be shown to be fakes [npr.org], because of specific particles emitted during nuclear explosions.
As a side note, drinking beer exposed to a nuclear explsion isn't recommended [livescience.com]. No, the U.S. government never tested this idea [npr.org], why would you ask?
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Yeah, but as with so many conspiracy theories, understanding the data requires either a decent understanding of the subject, or that they trust the people explaining it to them.
Meanwhile, believing the conspiracy theory only requires suspicion, ignorance, and a willingness to believe someone who makes them feel like they have "insider knowledge".
Unfortunately, the latter seems to often be a much easier sell.
Re: Explosion (Score:2)
This is why the summary of the article is wrong. Nobody bothered to read the paper (as is usual with âoescienceâ reporting).
Nature has natural sources of Cesium, this specific concern was never tested before but after Chernobyl we find out everything is radio active from various sources, including open fission reactors in nature and various mushrooms across the world that have evolved over millions of years to use radiosynthesis.
Re: (Score:2)
But how much of an explosion vs "nuclear energy production" (as per quote) was the Chernobyl incident?
The "fizzled nuclear explosion" hypothesis only posits that there were 10 tons of explosive yield due to a fast bomb-like reaction before the core disassembled. This is would produce a trivial amount of fallout. The vast majority of the contamination was due to the dispersion of the nuclear waste that was already contained in the core and was produced by years of normal operation. (By my math, assuming the hypothesis is true, the nuclear explosion would only contain the energy equivalent to about one minute
Re: (Score:2)
Yeah. It's not like this event vaporised the isotopes generated in a 1000 ton core for many years of continuous reaction.
Just as well (Score:3)
There are no Gauls like Asterix and Obelix still around depending on wild boar for their diet.
We still eat Boars. Chernobyl stopped on the river (Score:4, Funny)
We, French people, still eat Boars.
But we're incredibly lucky: The contaminated cloud from Chernobyl stopped just over the Rhine river (At least according to the official french narrative)
It seems that all the particles from atomic weapons testing also stopped at the french border, probably stopped y the customs officers....
Re: (Score:1)
A German would probably see it as proof that nobody likes the French, not even radioactive fallout.
Re: (Score:2)
Since they're all germanic tribes around there, I suspect that's what YOU would say rather than what a German would say.
Boar-ing (Score:2)
that is Boar-ing
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Many farmers hunt wild boars, primarily because of the damage they cause to plantations, but then also they eat them.
Re: (Score:2)
Gauls? Wild boars are eaten all over western and central Europe. In fact we're approaching game season now, so wild boar is about to be on many European's plates along with hares, pheasants, and venison.
Re: (Score:2)
I hunt them myself in the Black Forest region. Personally I prefer deer, but from first hand experience board is fairly popular in this region as seasonal food.
And while this region I'm hunting in isn't as affected as Bavaria, we still
something, something, spider (Score:2)
wild boar paradox
I'm undecided between Peter Porker (spider-ham, the Spider-verse) and Harry Plopper (spider-pig, The Simpsons).
Re: (Score:3)
This part is very simple and can be implied from the article; you are what you eat.
Re: (Score:2)
What about all the 2-legged truffle-ingesting pigs, bores and Schweine?
I wondered that too but the internet says deer truffles are inedible to 2-legged porkers.
WHOSE Nuclear Tests? (Score:2)
Nice performance for this article to never say Whose nuclear tests contaminated the boars in Germany.
Everyone's!! (Score:2)
Nuclear tests occurred in the Pacific or the Far East of Russia. Both will have contributed to the contamination, but separating out which ones are more responsible is probably impossible.
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:2)
Yeah and in Woomera too. They didn't even bother to move the aboriginals who lived in the area which has plagued the aboriginal community with all sorts of cancers and other problems (I *think* its the Kokatha tribe in that region, though dont quote me on that).
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Russia tested quite close in the New Zemble, and other sites
French tested even much closer, in Algeria.
Thanks for the reminder about Algeria (Score:2)
New Zemble; new site on me; thank you.
Re: (Score:1)
Novaya Zemlya, Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia, where Tsar Bomba was exploded
Re:WHOSE Nuclear Tests? (Score:5, Informative)
The full paper has this sentence: "The global fallout from atmospheric nuclear explosions peaked in 1964, more than 20 years prior to Chornobyl’s fallout. Due to the timespan between both events, the actual 137Cs inventory in greater soil depths differs from that in the top soil across the regions.". That clarifies they mean all the atmospheric tests of the 1960s (US/USSR/France/UK), not one in particular.
Radiation... (Score:2)
Do they glow in the dark? It'd be so much easier to hunt them...
Re: (Score:2)
Apex Predator (Score:2)
I'm also at the top of the food chain. Does cesium only affect mushrooms?
Re: (Score:2)
Misleading conclusion (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
Let's not forget though that it decays into radioactive barium, which then decays into stable barium. While not radioactive, that stable barium can still be poisonous.
BTW (Score:2)
The article didn't mention that you can't eat the mushrooms collected in those forests either.
Re: (Score:2)
By the sound of it, it depends on the depth the fungi grow at. The ones growing underground are experiencing the cesium from open-air nuclear tests. Aside from decaying, that cesium is also sinking into the soil, so it will eventually both get too deep to affect the underground fungi, and break down into barium. The stuff from Chornobyl is mostly above where the fungi grow, but it will, in coming years, sink to the point where it hits a peak in those underground fungi. Then it will sink too far and decay mo
mushrooms feed on radioactive material (Score:2)