Basel laboratory finds radioactivity in numerous products

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• Radioactive traces have been detected in various spices and tea from Turkey.
• The reason is the Chernobyl disaster.
• However, the levels were below the maximum permissible values.

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The Cantonal Laboratory of Basel-Stadt has detected traces of radioactivity in various samples of spices and tea from Turkey. These are consequences of the nuclear disaster in Chernobyl in 1986, as the laboratory announced on Thursday.

A total of 25 food imports from Turkey were collected and tested for caesium-137, among other things. Radioactive traces were detected in 9 of the 25 samples.

The highest concentration was found in a black tea. However, the maximum value according to the Chernobyl Ordinance was clearly undercut.

Tea plants known

Radiocaesium and radiostrontium originate from reactor accidents and nuclear bomb tests and are still present in the environment due to their long half-lives of 30 years, according to the laboratory.

As a large tea-growing region, Turkey was particularly affected by the radioactive fallout after the Chernobyl disaster. Tea plants are known for their ability to absorb large quantities of radionuclides.