Cortinarius caperatus found to be infested with maggots when picked. Mycologist David Arora recommends discarding the tough stipes. The popularity of "C. caperatus" across Europe has led to safety concerns related to its propensity to accumulate contaminants. Fungi are very efficient at absorbing radioactive isotopes of caesium from the soil and naturally have trace amounts of the element. Caesium may take the place of potassium, which exists in high concentrations in mushrooms. "C. caperatus" bioaccumulates radioactive caesium Cs—a product of nuclear testing—much more than many other mushroom species. Levels dramatically rose after the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. This is a potential health issue
Timeline of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster Economist reports that high levels of radioactive particles, including plutonium have been found in an extended irregular zone that extends well outside the 30 km evacuation radius around the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant. A French study by the Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety revealed that the Fukushima nuclear disaster caused the biggest discharge of radioactive material into the ocean in history. The radioactive caesium that flowed into the sea from the Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear plant was 20 times the amount estimated by its owner, Tokyo Electric Power Co. Atmospheric releases were cited as amounting to 35,800 terabecquerels