Mushrooms as a reference materials for intercomparison exercises and as bioindicators of radiocesium deposition in soil (France and Central European countries)

The 40K, 134Cs and 137Cs contents of 14 species of basydomycetes collected from June to November 1995 in European countries were measured by high resolution, hyperpure gamma-ray spectrometry on the same samples; fresh and dry. Due to their cesium content, their ready availability and their representative food matrix, mushrooms are an ideal reference material. Mushrooms also appear to be relevants as bioindicators of topsoil contamination, although the boletaccaea species seem to be better indicators than the cantharellacea.