Are mushroom-growing kits seeding a biodiversity crisis across Europe?
What began as a seemingly harmless and delicious hobby may have released an invasive species across the continent. Experts fear that these desirable fungi, now classed in the UK as "high risk", could radically reshape forest ecosystems.
A recent study has revealed that chemicals banned in the 1970s, specifically polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), are still widely detected across Europe. The research, published in the journal Environmental Research, found these chemicals in various environmental compartments, including air, water, sediments, soils, snow, and sludge.
The study, led by Prof. Khaled Abass from the University of Sharjah, highlights the environmental persistence of PBDEs, which were once used to reduce fire risks in various products. One key finding is the dominance of BDE-209 in sediment-rich matrices, a concern as these sediments can act as long-term environmental reservoirs, gradually releasing contaminants into waterways, soils, waste-management systems, and food chains.
The presence of PBDEs in both impacted and remote environments underscores the complexity of their legacy contamination and the need for continued monitoring and regulation.
Brief written by urgent.news from Phys.org's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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