Chernobyl’s wild boars have puzzled scientists for years due to their persistent radioactivity, contrasting with the decreasing radiation levels in other wildlife like deer. Researchers from the University of Vienna and Leibniz University Hannover have finally cracked this mystery, revealing that the boars’ continued exposure to radiation stems not only from the Chernobyl disaster of 1986 but also from atomic bomb testing in the 1960s. The key to understanding this phenomenon lies in the presence of cesium-135, a radioactive isotope with a much longer half-life than cesium-137, which was predominantly released during the Chernobyl incident. This discovery was made possible through advanced mass spectrometric methods, allowing scientists to accurately measure the presence of cesium-135.
The study suggests that the boars’ diet, particularly their consumption of deer truffles found underground, plays a significant role in their sustained radioactivity. These truffles absorb cesium slowly, retaining radiation from both the Chernobyl disaster and Cold War-era nuclear tests. This unique dietary pathway has kept the radiation levels in boars relatively constant over the years, even as other species in the area have seen a decline in radioactivity. The findings, published in Environmental Science & Technology, highlight the complex interactions within natural ecosystems and the importance of precise scientific measurements in unraveling environmental mysteries.
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