Nuclear Fallout Honey

Since the first atomic blast at the 1945 Trinity Test, thousands of above-ground nuclear detonations have spread a radioactive isotope called cesium-137 (Cs-137) across the globe. Carried by wind and rain, this fallout has reached soils far from the test sites, quietly embedding itself in the environment. Cs-137 dissolves easily in water, allowing it to be absorbed by plants, which mistake it for potassium, an essential nutrient. This contamination even reaches plant nectar, which bees use to make honey. Studies show that trace amounts of Cs-137 still cycle through ecosystems today, especially on the US East Coast, far from the original testing sites. Even with this radioactive history, the honey is safe to eat. The highest levels measured were 19.1 becquerels per kilogram, far below the FDA safety limit of 1,200 Bq/kg. An 8 oz bottle contains roughly the same radioactivity as half a banana—and that number keeps dropping. With a 30-year half-life, honey from the 1970s likely had ten times more Cs-137 than what we see today.