A study published on Wednesday, August 30, 2023 by the American Chemical Society (ACS) warns of the radioactivity of wild boars from Central Europe. In this report published by the American magazine Popular Mechanics, researchers blame the Chernobyl nuclear disaster on April 26, 1986. But this accident may not be the only reason for this.
According to the authors of the study, it is quite appropriate to take a look at the nuclear tests that took place in the region 60 or even 90 years ago. “Sixty-year-old radioactive cesium from fallout from nuclear weapons tests contributes significantly to contamination of wild boar in Central Europe, previously thought to be due primarily to Chernobyl.”, describes the study. And for good reason: According to researchers, the nuclear weapons tests carried out on German soil since 1939 alone are responsible for 68% of wild boar contamination in Central Europe.
88% of German wild boars
According to our American colleagues, radioactive cesium is a residue from nuclear weapon explosions and nuclear energy production. Cesium 137 and cesium 135, two isotopic forms of this element, impact wildlife by contaminating the soil and everything that grows there. Over time, a decline in these radioactivity levels was observed in most hunted animals, but not in wild boar.
According to the study, this is particularly due to the diet of these pachyderms, which generally feed on mushrooms and underground truffles, which are real sponges with radioactivity. According to the ACS, 88% of wild boar meat samples analyzed in Germany had radioactive cesium levels above local regulatory limits. “Our work allows us to better understand the notorious cesium contamination of Bavarian wild boars”welcomed the authors of the study.