[Harder] Mystery of radioactivity of Germany's wild boars

Radioactivity(방사능) wild boars(야생돼지) have been roaming(돌아다니다) the forests of Germany for decades.

Scientists believed their radioactivity was due to the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster.

However, the animals' radioactivity has long mystified(혼란스럽게 만들다) scientists because while levels of radioactive caesium in other animals has decreased over the years, radioactivity in wild boars has persisted(지속되다) at high levels.

Scientists have dubbed(별명을붙이다) this mystery the "wild boar paradox". 

New research now attributes(~의 결과로보다) the contamination(오염) of Germany's wild boars to nuclear weapons tests from the mid-20th century. 

The Chernobyl reactor(원자로) produced caesium-137, which has a much shorter life than the caesium-135 created by nuclear weapons.

 

Scientists believe the reason wild boars have remained so radioactive compared to other forest creatures is their love of the delicacy truffle mushrooms.

Radioactive particles accumulate(축적하다) in these underground fungi(곰팡이), which part of the boars' diet.

The high levels of caesium in boars make the animals too dangerous to be eaten under German law.

This has resulted in a reduction in the hunting of the animals, which has led to a proliferation(급증) of their numbers.

Geochemist(지구화학자) James Kaste asks why the effects of nuclear weapons testing on the evnvironment have been "under-studied and largely forgotten"

He said : "This is one of the ultimate case studies showing how legacy(기존) soil pollution can haunt(나타나다) generations to come."