Correlations between potassium, rubidium and cesium (133Cs and 137Cs) in sporocarps of Suillus variegatus in a Swedish boreal forest

An analysis of sporocarps of ectomycorrhizal fungi Suillus variegatus assessed whether cesium (133Cs and 137Cs) uptake was correlated with potassium (K) or rubidium (Rb) uptake. The question was whether intraspecific correlations of Rb, K and 133Cs mass concentrations with 137Cs activity concentrations in sporocarps were higher within, rather than among, different fungal species, and if genotypic origin of sporocarps within a population affected uptake and correlation. Sporocarps (n = 51) from a Swedish forest population affected by the fallout after the Chernobyl accident were studied. The concentrations were 31.9 ± 6.79 g kg−1 for K (mean ± SD, dwt), 0.40 ± 0.09 g kg−1 for Rb, 8.7 ± 4.36 mg kg−1 for 133Cs and 63.7 ± 24.2 kBq kg−1 for 137Cs. The mass concentrations of 133Cs correlated with 137Cs activity concentrations (r = 0.61). There was correlation between both 133Cs concentrations (r = 0.75) and 137Cs activity concentrations (r = 0.44) and Rb, but the 137Cs/133Cs isotopic ratio negatively correlated with Rb concentration. Concentrations of K and Rb were weakly correlated (r = 0.51). The 133Cs mass concentrations, 137Cs activity concentrations and 137Cs/133Cs isotopic ratios did not correlate with K concentrations. No differences between, within or, among genotypes in S. variegatus were found. This suggested the relationships between K, Rb, 133Cs and 137Cs in sporocarps of S. variegatus is similar to other fungal species.

► We studied uptake of Cs (133Cs and 137Cs), K and Rb by Suillus variegates sporocarps.
► Genotypic origin of fungus did not affect uptake of studied elements (isotopes).
► Genotypic origin did not affect correlation between Cs (133Cs and 137Cs), K and Rb.