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
Antibiotic use in livestock government regulates antibiotic use in the cattle production industry. China produces and consumes the most antibiotics of all countries. Antibiotic use has been measured by checking the water near factory farms in China as well as through animal feces. It was calculated that 38.5 million kg (or 84.9 million lbs) of antibiotics were used in China's swine and poultry production in 2012. The abuse of antibiotics caused severe pollution of soil and surface water in Northern China. In 2012, U.S. News & World Report described the Chinese government's regulation of antibiotics in livestock production as "weak". On the UK 5