Skip to product information
1 of 7

Nuclear Fallout Honey

Nuclear Fallout Honey

6 total reviews

Item #246


Since the first atomic bomb detonation, the Trinity Test of 1945, hundreds of nuclear weapons have been detonated in above ground tests. The fallout from these explosions contain a radioactive isotope of the element cesium, called radiocesium or 137Cs.

Wind and rainfall caused much of this fallout to be dispersed far from the testing sites and deposited into the soil. Since it is highly soluble in water, it is absorbed by plants which mistake it for potassium. It ends up in plant nectar, which is then used by bees to make honey.

According to a study in March 2021, trace amounts of radiocaesium from nuclear fallout are still cycling through plants and animals to this day, even on the US East coast, thousands of miles from the nearest testing sites.

Though being slightly radioactive, this honey is still safe to eat. Radioactivity is measured in becquerels, (Bq), and the honey samples in the study ranged from 0.03–19.1 Bq/kg. The US Food & Drug Administration places the cutoff for any food safety concerns at 1,200 Bq/kg.

The half-life of radiocesium is 30 years, so honey produced in the 1970's was likely to have 10x more 137Cs.

 

Map details:
a) Detectable (filled black circles) 137Cs in honey on a map with 20th century 137Cs deposition to soils determined at the county scale decay corrected to 2019.
b) Circles scaled logarithmically showing the relative magnitude of 137Cs in honey on a map in Bq/kg (becquerel=nuclear disintegration per second) with county mean soil K (potassium) concentrations determined from airborne radiometric surveys.


  • Research card
  • Glass container

Volume
Regular price $9.00
Regular price Sale price $9.00
Sale Sold out
Shipping calculated at checkout.
Matter Subscriber Price:


View full details

Customer Reviews

Based on 6 reviews
83%
(5)
17%
(1)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
S
S. (Tennessee, United States)
Awesome purchase

Arrived quickly and packaged safely. We a taste, and it was good honey! Will be saving the rest for our radioactive items collection :)

A
A.P. (Ohio, United States)
Quirky

A fun little piece to add to my Atomic Era collection!

R
R.Y. (Florida, United States)
Excellent

Very happy with my purchase. Excellent gift, I was pleased with the information card that came with it.

J
J.B. (Virginia, United States)

Jess rated this 5 stars on Etsy

J
J.Z. (Virginia, United States)

Fast shipping, Came quicker than expected. Only bought this cause I wanted to try it. It is very sweet, and has a kinda odd, but not bad after taste. Either way, 10/10 would buy again.

B
Benny

Came quite fast! Is a great conversation starter! Just wish it was bigger so I could achieve my dream of making a radioactive mead:)

AUTHENTICITY GUARANTEED

We only list 100% verified authentic items. We work with reputable collectors, and regularly consult with our network of scientists and experts.

  • Free Shipping

    Orders ≥$50 qualify for free US shipping
    Orders ≥$100 qualify for free global shipping

  • Secure Payments

    Pay how you like: credit card, PayPal, After Pay, Shop Pay, Venmo, Apple/Google/Meta Pay & crypto

  • Simple Returns

    Change your mind? No problem. Enjoy easy returns within 30 days.

similar items_

WE TAKE SCIENCE SERIOUSLY

You deserve better than craft store science products. And we think learning is more impactful when you're holding a tangible piece of what you're learning about. That's why Stemcell exists.

We're dedicated to providing the best scientific products available—whether they're fragments of scientific importance, experimental activities, or just interesting things that scratch your curiosity itch.

With every new product launch, our list of new ideas gets longer rather than shorter. So check in often for our latest projects, and thanks for being a part of our endeavor to make the world a smarter place to live.

Believe in yourself; for everything else, there's science.

— TERRY MUDGE, FOUNDER & SCIENTIFIC DIRECTOR