Radioactive mushrooms were found on a foreigner flying to Uzbekistan in Domodedovo.

Customs officers at Domodedovo Airport found more than 30 kg of dried porcini mushrooms with elevated radiation levels in the luggage of a 32-year-old foreigner heading to Uzbekistan. This was announced on October 19 by the press service of the Federal Customs Service of the Russian Federation.

"An alarm signal was received from the Yantar radiation monitoring system during a baggage check. The inspectors opened the box and found a loose substance in a cardboard bag inside. According to the label, these were dried porcini mushrooms of Russian production," the agency said in a message on the Maks messenger.

A check with a portable radiometer-spectrometer showed an excess of the natural radiation background by more than 10 times. During the initial examination, the radionuclide caesium-137 (Cs-137) was found in the products.

Information about the find was passed to Rospotrebnadzor. The agency recognized the shipment as radioactive waste that needs to be disposed of. An order was issued against the manufacturer and a set of measures was developed to prevent harm. The EAEU Declaration of conformity for Dried White Mushroom products has been terminated, its release and further sale have been suspended.

Caesium-137 is an artificial radioactive isotope that is formed during the fission of uranium and plutonium nuclei. It can appear during nuclear reactions, nuclear weapons tests, and accidents at nuclear facilities. Its half-life is about 30 years. High doses of radiation can lead to acute radiation sickness, and prolonged exposure to small doses increases the risk of cancer.

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On October 12, Domodedovo Customs spokeswoman Elena Martynova reported that her colleagues had found a radioactive aviation watch in a package from Israel, which was supposed to be received by a resident of Udmurtia. It was emphasized that the object was in a backpack, which, when checked, showed a high level of radiation. The watch was missing from the package description.