Pickling of chanterelle Cantharellus cibarius mushrooms highly reduce cadmium contamination

Rare earth contamination of edible vegetation: Ce, La, and summed REE in fungi

The increasing and diversified use of rare earth elements (REE) is considered a potential source of pollution of environmental media including soils. This work documents critically overview data on the occurrence of REE in the fruiting bodies of wild and farmed species of edible and medicinal mushrooms, as this was identified as the largest published dataset of REE occurrence in foodstuff. Most of the literature reported occurrences of cerium (Ce) and lanthanum (La), but a number of studies lacked data on all lanthanides. The Ce, La, and summed REE occurrences were assessed through the criteria of environmental geochemistry, analytical chemistry, food toxicology, mushroom systematics, and ecology. Ce and La accumulate similarly in fruiting bodies and are not fractionated during uptake, maintaining the occurrence patterns of their growing substrates. Similarly, there is no credible evidence of variable REE uptake because the evaluated species data show natural, unfractionated patterns in accordance with the Oddo-Harkins' order of environmental lanthanide occurrence. Thus, lithosphere occurrence patterns of Ce and La as the first and the third most abundant lanthanides are reflected in wild and farmed mushrooms regardless of substrate and show that Ce is around twice more abundant than La. The current state of knowledge provides no evidence that mushroom consumption at these REE occurrence levels poses a health risk either by themselves or when included with other dietary exposure. Macromycetes appear to bio-exclude lanthanides because independently reported bioconcentration factors for different species and collection sites, typically range from < 1 to 0.001. This is reflected in fruiting body concentrations which are four to two orders of magnitude lower than growing substrates. KEY POINTS: •Original REE occurrence patterns in soils/substrates are reflected in mushrooms •No evidence for the fractionation of REE during uptake by fungi •Mushrooms bio-exclude REE in fruiting bodies.

A critical review of the occurrence of scandium and yttrium in mushrooms

Scandium (Sc) and Yttrium (Y) along with the other rare earth elements (REE) are being increasingly extracted to meet the escalating demand for their use in modern high technology applications. Concern has been voiced that releases from this escalating usage may pollute environments, including the habitats of wild species of mushrooms, many of which are foraged and prized as foods. This review collates the scarce information on occurrence of these elements in wild mushrooms and also reviews soil substrate levels, including forested habitats. Sc and Y occurred at lower levels in mushrooms (<1.0-1000 µg kg-1 dw for Sc and<1.8-1500 µg kg-1 dw for Y) compared to the corresponding range for the sum of the lanthanides in the same species (16-8400 µg kg-1 dw). The reported species showed considerably more variation in Y contents than Sc which show a narrow median distribution range (20-40 µg kg-1 dw). Data allowing temporal examination was very limited but showed no increasing trend between the 1970s to 2019, nor were any geographical influences apparent. The study of the essentiality, toxicity or other effects of REE including Sc and Y at levels of current dietary intake are as yet undefined. High intake scenarios using the highest median concentrations of Sc and Y, resulted in daily intakes of 1.2 and 3.3 μg respectively from 300 g portions of mushroom meals. These could be considered as low unless future toxicological insights make these intake levels relevant.

Scandium, yttrium, and lanthanide occurrence in Cantharellus cibarius and C. minor mushrooms

There is a dearth of data on rare earth elements (REE), yttrium and scandium in foods which extends also to baseline datasets for edible wild mushrooms, though this has started to change in the last decade. Concentrations and shale normalized patterns of REE and Y (REY) were studied by using inductively coupled plasma-quadrupole mass spectrometer in 22 pools (2235 specimens) of Cantharellus cibarius (Golden Chanterelle) collected in Poland and also a pool of C. minor (Small Chanterelle) (153 specimens) from Yunnan (Chinese Province). The total REY plus Sc varied in C. cibarius from 10 to 593 µg kg-1 dw whereas that for the Yunnan's C. minor was 2072 µg kg-1 dw. C. minor from Yunnan has higher REY and Sc compared to the C. cibarius. Sc concentrations in twenty C. cibarius pools were below 1 µg kg-1 dw, but 17 and 27 µg kg-1 dw were detected at the other two sites and 66 µg kg-1 dw was detected in C. minor. The median Y content of C. cibarius and C. minor was 22 µg kg-1 dw and 200 µg kg-1 dw. The difference in REY and Sc concentrations and shale normalized patterns between mushrooms from Poland and Yunnan seems to reflect the regional difference in concentration and composition of these elements in the soil bedrock.

Research Progress on Elements of Wild Edible Mushrooms

Wild edible mushrooms are distributed all over the world and are delicious seasonal foods, rich in polysaccharides, amino acids, vitamins, and other components. At the same time, they contain many essential trace elements and are highly enriched in heavy metals (compared to green plants and cultivated edible mushrooms). Consumers may be exposed to health risks due to excessive heavy metals in the process of consumption. This is also one of the important factors affecting the import and export of edible mushrooms, which is of great concern to consumers and entry and exit inspection and quarantine departments. In this paper, the contents of four essential trace elements of iron, manganese, zinc, and copper and four harmful heavy metals of cadmium, lead, mercury, and arsenic in nearly 400 species of wild edible mushrooms from 10 countries are reviewed. It was found that the factors affecting the elemental content of edible mushrooms are mainly divided into internal and external factors. Internal is mainly the difference in species element-enrichment ability, and external is mainly environmental pollution and geochemical factors. The aim is to provide a reference for the risk assessment of edible mushrooms and their elemental distribution characteristics.

Effect of drying, blanching, pickling and maceration on the fate of 40K, total K and 137Cs in bolete mushrooms and dietary intake

The effects of blanching, blanching and pickling and maceration on the leaching of ¹³⁷Cs and ⁴⁰K from the flesh of three edible bolete mushroom species-Boletus edulis, Leccinum scabrum and Leccinum versipelle-were investigated. Significant (p < 0.05) decreases in activity were observed but varied depending on the treatment. Relative to fresh mushrooms, blanching decreased the activity concentration of ¹³⁷Cs by 15 ± 13%, and of ⁴⁰K, by 16 ± 7%, but blanching and pickling (vinegar) reduced activity more effectively, by 55 ± 8% and 40 ± 20% respectively. The corresponding losses of ¹³⁷Cs and ⁴⁰K through maceration of dried, powdered mushrooms were 38 ± 11% and 35 ± 14% ww, respectively. These results indicate that traditional domestic processing methods may not be as efficient at excluding ¹³⁷Cs radioactivity as shown in some other studies. The activity concentration of ¹³⁷Cs in a typically sized (100 g) portion of a processed mushroom (sourced from nearshore regions of the southern Baltic Sea coast near Gdańsk in 2015) meal was projected to be low, i.e. in the range of 0.51 to 12 Bq kg^-1 ww. The corresponding effective dose of ¹³⁷Cs from blanched, blanched and pickled and macerated mushrooms per capita was also assessed to be low, from 0.001 to 0.010 μSv. Nutritionally, the median concentration of potassium (330 mg) in 100 g portions of blanched or pickled mushrooms would account for around 7% of the adequate adult daily intake.

Fresh and processed wild Cantharellus cibarius L. growing in West Siberia: food value

Introduction. Cantharellus cibarius L. is a wild mushroom that has been part of human diet for many centuries. However, there is little reliable information about its nutritional value, storage conditions, shelf life, and processing. The research objective was to study the nutritional value of C. cibarius growing in West Siberia, as well as to define its storage and processing conditions. Study objects and methods. The research featured fresh and processed (boiled and salted) wild chanterelles (C. cibarius) obtained from the forests of the Novosibirsk region. The mushrooms were tested for amino acids, fatty acids, nutrients, reducing sugars, trehalose, mannit, glycogen, fiber, mucus, squalene, ash, minerals, vitamins, trypsin inhibitor, chlorides, mesophilic and facultative anaerobes, etc. The samples also underwent sensory evaluation. Results and discussion. The samples of C. cibarius proved to have a high nutritional value. The samples contained 3.6% proteins, including essential amino acids; 3.9% carbohydrates, including sugars and dietary fiber; and 0.7% lipids, including saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated acids. In addition, C. cibarius appeared to be rich in biologically active substances. It contained trypsin inhibitors that reduce the absorption of protein compounds. Purchasing centers can be recommended to use 70–80% relative air humidity. At 0–2°C, the storage time was five days; at 5–10°C – three days; at 15–20°C – two days; at 20–30°C – one day. Before processing, the mushrooms were washed twice in non-flowing water. C. cibarius also proved to be a valuable raw material for boiled and salted semi-finished products. The optimal boiling time was 5–10 min. Lightly-, medium-, and strong-salted semi-finished mushrooms were ready for consumption after the fermentation was complete, i.e. after day 15, 10, and 3, respectively. Conclusion. Boiled and salted semi-finished products from Siberian C. cibarius demonstrated excellent sensory qualities and can become part of various popular dishes.

Mercury and selenium in developing and mature fruiting bodies of Amanita muscaria

Both mercury (Hg) and selenium (Se) occur in many mushroom species, but the morphological distribution of these elements during different developmental stages of the fruiting bodies is not known. Although Amanita muscaria can be consumed after suitable processing, they are often ignored by mushroom foragers, leaving an abundance for investigative study. Multiple specimens in each of six developmental stages (button to fully mature) were collected in excellent condition during a single morning from the same forested location and composited. With an average of 30 specimens per composite, and low temporal, spatial, and measurement uncertainty, the data are likely to be representative of the typical concentrations of Hg and Se for each developmental stage. Hg (range 0.58-0.74 mg kg^-1 dry weight cap; 0.33 to 0.44 mg kg^-1 dw stipe) and Se (range 8.3-11 mg kg^-1 dw cap; 2.2 to 4.3 mg kg^-1 dw stipe) levels were observed to vary during the developmental stages, and the variability may relate to the demands in growth. In common with some other species, the lower stipe concentrations may be consistent with nutrient/contant transport and support functions. Both Hg and Se levels were lowest during periods of maximum sporocarp growth. Selenium occurs at almost an order of magnitude greater levels than Hg. Due to its role in mitigating the effects of Hg toxicity, this property is of significance to those who consume the species either for nutritional, medicinal, or recreational purposes, although the losses of both these elements during processing are not known.

137Caesium, 40K and total K in Boletus edulis at different maturity stages: Effect of braising and estimated radiation dose intake

We studied activity concentrations of artificial ¹³⁷Cs and natural ⁴⁰K and concentration of total potassium (K) in Boletus edulis at different maturity stages (button, young - white, large - white and large - yellow), and the effect of braising and human dietary intake. Mushrooms were collected from the northern region of Poland in 2019. The ¹³⁷Cs activity concentration was significantly higher in raw and braised button stage samples and decreased as the fruitbody matured, but conversely, ⁴⁰K was lower in the raw button stage than in older fruitbodies. ¹³⁷Cs activity concentrations in raw, button stage B. edulis were 36 ± 1 Bq kg^-1 ww (360 ± 1 Bq kg^-1 dw), increasing to 70 ± 2 Bq kg^-1 ww (290 ± 7 Bq kg^-1 dw) when braised. This activity was around fourteen-fold higher (p < 0.0001) than at higher maturity stages which showed 2.5 ± 0.7 Bq kg^-1 ww (25 ± 7 Bq kg^-1 dw) in raw and 4.9 ± 0.7 Bq kg^-1 ww (19 ± 4 Bq kg^-1 dw) in braised fruitbodies. In comparison to raw B. edulis, braising enriched the activity concentrations of ¹³⁷Cs at 110 ± 69% and ⁴⁰K at 80 ± 56% on a whole (wet) weight basis.

Mycoremediation of heavy metals: processes, mechanisms, and affecting factors

Industrial processes and mining of coal and metal ores are generating a number of threats by polluting natural water bodies. Contamination of heavy metals (HMs) in water and soil is the most serious problem caused by industrial and mining processes and other anthropogenic activities. The available literature suggests that existing conventional technologies are costly and generated hazardous waste that necessitates disposal. So, there is a need for cheap and green approaches for the treatment of such contaminated wastewater. Bioremediation is considered a sustainable way where fungi seem to be good bioremediation agents to treat HM-polluted wastewater. Fungi have high adsorption and accumulation capacity of HMs and can be potentially utilized. The most important biomechanisms which are involved in HM tolerance and removal by fungi are bioaccumulation, bioadsorption, biosynthesis, biomineralisation, bioreduction, bio-oxidation, extracellular precipitation, intracellular precipitation, surface sorption, etc. which vary from species to species. However, the time, pH, temperature, concentration of HMs, the dose of fungal biomass, and shaking rate are the most influencing factors that affect the bioremediation of HMs and vary with characteristics of the fungi and nature of the HMs. In this review, we have discussed the application of fungi, involved tolerance and removal strategies in fungi, and factors affecting the removal of HMs.

Toxicological risks and nutritional value of wild edible mushroom species -a half-century monitoring study

The content of major- and trace elements in wild-growing mushrooms has been subject to numerous studies, but the data on long-term trends in this regard are scarce. The aim of research was to determine the content of 34 elements in four edible mushroom species Boletus edulis, Imleria badia, Leccinum scabrum and Macrolepiota procera, and associated soil collected from Polish forests between 1974 and 2019. As initially hypothesized, the element concentration in the studied soil revealed an increasing trend and was positively correlated with their levels found in fruit bodies. Bioconcentrafion Factor values exceeding 1 were documented for all mushroom species for K, P, Ag, Cd, Cu, Hg, and Zn. When compared to the Adequate Intakes, all the mushroom species were found to be a good dietary source of K, P, and Zn (range of 6260-8690, 6260-8690 and 97-135 mg kg^-1 dry weight (dw), respectively), and B. edulis and I. badia a moderate source of Fe (mean 71.5 and 76.5 mg kg^-1 dw, respectively), B. edulis of Mn and Mo (mean 20.0 and 0.42 mg kg^-1 dw, respectively), while L. scabrum and M. procera a source of Cu. Consumption of the studied mushrooms would not lead to significant exposure to Al, As, Cr, or Ni. Considering that wild mushrooms will continue to be collected in Poland, one should bear in mind that they are a limited source of minerals in the human diet while their frequent, regular consumption, associated with exposure to selected toxic elements, should not be recommended.

Mercury in traditionally foraged species of fungi (macromycetes) from the karst area across Yunnan province in China

The objective of this study is to better quantify the occurrence, intake, and potential risk from Hg in fungi traditionally foraged in SW China. The concentrations and intakes of Hg were measured from 42 species including a "hard" flesh type polypore fungi and a" soft" flesh type edible species that are used in traditional herbal medicine, collected during the period 2011-2017. Three profiles of forest topsoil from the Zhenyuan site in 2015 and Changning and Dulong sites in 2016 were also investigated. The concentrations of Hg in composite samples of polypore fungi were usually below 0.1 mg kg-1 dry weight (dw) but higher levels, 0.11 ± 0.01 and 0.24 ± 0.00 mg kg-1 dw, were noted in Ganoderma applanatum and Amauroderma niger respectively, both from the Nujiang site near the town of Lanping in NW Yunnan. Hg concentrations in Boletaceae species were usually well above 1.0 mg kg-1 dw and as high as 10 mg kg-1 dw. The quality of the mushrooms in this study in view of contamination with Hg showed a complex picture. The "worst case" estimations showed probable intake of Hg from 0.006 μg kg-1 body mass (bm) ("hard" type flesh) to 0.25 μg kg-1 bm ("soft" flesh) on a daily basis for capsulated products, from 17 to 83 μg kg-1 bm ("soft" flesh) in a meal ("hard" type flesh mushrooms are not cooked while used in traditional herbal medicine after processing), and from 0.042 to 1.7 and 120 to 580 μg kg-1 bm on a weekly basis, respectively. KEY POINTS: • Polypore species were slightly contaminated with Hg. • Hg maximal content in the polypore was < 0.25 mg kg-1 dry weight. • Many species from Boletaceae family in Yunnan showed elevated Hg. • Locals who often eat Boletus may take Hg at a dose above the daily reference dose.

Assessment of potential human health risk of trace element in wild edible mushroom species collected from Yunnan Province, China

Wild edible mushrooms are rich in nutritions and popular among people, but wild edible mushrooms easily accumulate potentially harmful trace elements, and excessive intake will harm health. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential health hazards of long-term intake of wild edible mushrooms in Yunnan Province, China. The concentrations of trace element (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Pb, Ni, and Zn) in 19 species of wild edible mushrooms in Yunnan Province were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Further processing of the data, the potential health risk assessments of consumers were evaluated by the target hazard quotient (THQ), hazard index (HI), and incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR), respectively. Results showed that concentrations of trace element in wild edible mushrooms decreased in the order of Zn > Cu > As > Ni > Cr > Cd > Pb > Hg. Compared with the maximum standard by the WHO/China, the averages of As, Cd, Cr, Hg, and Zn were significantly greater than the standard. Among the tested wild edible mushrooms, HI values of Leccinum crocipodium, Thelephora ganbajun, Lactarius luteolus, Tricholoma matsutake, and Polyporus ellisii were more than 1. Thus, Leccinum crocipodium, Thelephora ganbajun, Lactarius luteolus, Tricholoma matsutake, and Polyporus ellisii are the main sources of risk. The value of THQ in ascending order was as follows: Pb (0.11) < Cd (0.75) < As (4.27) < Hg (6.87). Thus, Hg are the primary sources of health risk in the wild edible mushrooms in Yunnan Province. ILCR_(As) values of Thelephora ganbajun, Tricholoma matsutake, Laccaria amethystea, and Polyporus ellisii were more than 10^-4, these four samples are the primary sources of health risk. The mean values of ILCR for As in wild mushroom were 1.01 × 10^-4. The results suggest that there was potential health risk to the consumer associated with the long-term consumption of wild edible mushrooms collected from Yunnan Province. We propose that the concentrations of trace element should be periodically monitored in wild edible mushrooms.

Metal concentration and health risk assessment of wild mushrooms collected from the Black Sea region of Turkey

Mushrooms are rich sources of organic nutrients (especially proteins). However, they can excessively accumulate metals in their fruiting bodies that pose a risk to human health. The aim of this study was the determination of Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn contents, daily intake, and health risk index values of some mushroom species collected from the eastern Black Sea region of Turkey (Arsin, Trabzon). The samples were collected from hazelnut gardens that are free from industrial pollution and have a low population density. As a result of elemental analysis, it was determined that the concentration ranges of Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn in the mushrooms were as follows: 0.29-9.11, 0.04-3.70, 0.01-8.29, 0.18-20.82, 3.1-79.8, 5.2-673.0, 14.9-752.0, 63.0-7769.0 mg/kg dry weight. Daily intakes of all the elements were found to be below the reference dose in Fistulina hepatica, Hydnum repandum, Macrolepiota procera, and Tapinella atrotomentosa. Amanita caesarea, Agrocybe praecox, Amanita vaginata, Cantharellus cibarius, Craterellus cornucopioides, Daedalea quercina, Gymnopus dryophilus, Ganoderma lucidum, and Infundibulicybe gibba were found to have high risk index values especially with respect to Cd, Co, and Pb. According to Pearson correlation analysis, the correlations between Fe-Mn (0.840, p < 0.01) and Pb-Ni (0.7540, p < 0.01) couples are significant.

Accumulation Pattern of Inorganic Elements in Scaly Tooth Mushroom (Sarcodon imbricatus) from Northern Poland

Several studies have documented contamination levels and daily intake of metallic elements from foodstuffs including rice, maize, pulses, vegetables, fruits, fish, meat, egg, milk etc., however, limited literature is available on metal contamination levels in wild growing mushrooms and possible human exposure via consumption of it. Sarcodon imbricatus is an edible mushroom, commonly consumed in many parts of the world. Very few studies have been conducted on inorganic elemental composition in fruiting bodies (edible part) of this fungus. In this study, elements such as silver (Ag), aluminum (Al), barium (Ba), calcium (Ca), cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co,) chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), mercury (Hg), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), manganese (Mn), sodium (Na), nickel (Ni), phosphorous (P), lead (Pb), rubidium (Rb), strontium (Sr) and zinc (Zn) were measured in caps and stems of fruiting bodies of S. imbricatus collected from the Wdzydze forests in Central and the Augustowska Primeval forest in Eastern Poland. Results revealed that a wide variation in concentrations of various metals in caps and stems samples collected from the two forests. Toxic metallic elements such as Cd and Hg showed preferential accumulation in caps than stems samples from both the forests. However, the concentrations of Cd, Hg and Pb in the mushroom samples were below the established weekly intake tolerance limits.

Elemental distribution including toxic elements in edible and inedible wild growing mushrooms from South Africa

Macro-elements (Ca, Fe, K, Mg and Na) and trace elements including some toxic (As, Be, Cd, Co, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Se and Zn) were determined in edible and inedible wild-growing mushrooms (Amanita rubescens, Auricularia polytricha, Boletus edulis, Boletus mirabilis, Clavulina cristata, Helvella crispa, Lactarius deliciosus, Suillus luteus, Termitomyces microcarpus, Termitomyces reticulatus, Termitomyces clypeatus, Termitomyces umkowaanii, Amanita foetidissima, Amanita muscaria, Amanita pantherina, Aseroe rubra, Chlorophyllum molybdites, Ganoderma lucidum, Gymnopilus junonius, Hypholoma fasciculare, Lentinus villosus, Lepista caffrorum, Pycnoporus sanguineus, Panaeolus papilionaceus, Pisolithus tinctorius, Pleurotus ostreatus, Podaxis pistillaris, Russula sardonia, Scleroderma citrinum, Scleroderma michiganense). Analyses of samples were carried out using inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry. The elemental content in both edible and inedible mushrooms, in decreasing order, was found to be K >> Na > Ca > Mg > Fe > Mn > Zn > Cu > Se > Co > Ni > Be > Pb ≥ Cd > As. Our study revealed that the accumulation of metals from the soil is independent of whether mushrooms are edible or inedible as uptake is dependent on the soil quality and its environment. Edible mushroom species studied were found to be rich in Se (145-836% towards the RDA) with B. edulis being rich in it, C. cristata in Cu, S. luteus in Fe and H. crispa in Zn, and all contained low concentrations of toxic metals making them suitable for human consumption.

Bio-concentration potential and associations of heavy metals in Amanita muscaria (L.) Lam. from northern regions of Poland

Fruiting bodies of Amanita muscaria and topsoil beneath from six background areas in northern regions of Poland were investigated for the concentration levels of Ag, Al, Ba, Ca, Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Hg, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Rb, Sr, and Zn. In addition, the bioconcentration factors (BCF values) were studied for each of these metallic elements. Similar to studies from other basidiomycetes, A. muscaria showed species-specific affinities to some elements, resulting in their bioconcentration in mycelium and fruiting bodies. This mushroom growing in soils with different levels of the geogenic metallic elements (Ag, Al, Ba, Ca, Co, Cu, Fe, Hg, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Rb, Sr, and Zn) showed signs of homeostatic accumulation in fruiting bodies of several of these elements, while Cd appeared to be accumulated at a rate dependent of the concentration level in the soil substrate. This species is an efficient bio-concentrator of K, Mg, Cd, Cu, Hg, Rb, and Zn and hence also contributes to the natural cycling of these metallic elements in forest ecosystems.

Artificial 137Cs and natural 40K in mushrooms from the subalpine region of the Minya Konka summit and Yunnan Province in China

A study on ¹³⁷Cs pollution and activity concentrations of ⁴⁰K in mushrooms of the genera Cortinarius, Leccinum, Russula, Tricholoma, Tylopilus, and Xerocomus from two neighboring regions in southwest China in 2010-2013 revealed different patterns of pollution with ¹³⁷Cs, which seemed to be highly dependent on climate conditions. Tricholoma matsutake was collected in Yunnan before and after the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear accident and showed similar contamination with ¹³⁷Cs. Mushrooms from the elevation of 2800-3480 m above sea level on the east slope of Minya Konka and forest topsoil showed higher contamination with ¹³⁷Cs than mushrooms from the highlands of Yunnan. In detail, the activity concentration of ¹³⁷Cs in caps of mushrooms from Minya Konka were in the range 62 ± 6-280 ± 150 Bq kg^-1 dry biomass and from Yunnan at < 4.4-83 ± 3 Bq kg^-1 dry biomass. The climate in the region of the Minya Konka is much colder than in Yunnan, which seems to favor deposition of ¹³⁷Cs at higher altitudes from global atmospheric circulation. The activity concentration of ⁴⁰K in mushrooms and soils highly exceeded that of ¹³⁷Cs. The assessed annual effective doses for ¹³⁷Cs in 1 kg of consumed mushrooms of the genera Leccinum and Xerocomus in Yunnan were low, i.e., in the range < 0.0043-0.049 ± 0.004 μSv, while those for ⁴⁰K were 0.26 ± 0.02-0.81 ± 0.09 μSv.

Analysis of some metallic elements and metalloids composition and relationships in parasol mushroom Macrolepiota procera

The aim of the study was to characterise the multi-elemental composition and associations between a group of 32 elements and 16 rare earth elements collected by mycelium from growing substrates and accumulated in fruiting bodies of Macrolepiota procera from 16 sites from the lowland areas of Poland. The elements were quantified by inductively coupled plasma quadrupole mass spectrometry using validated method. The correlation matrix obtained from a possible 48 × 16 data matrix has been used to examine if any association exits between 48 elements in mushrooms foraged from 16 sampling localizations by multivariate approach using principal component (PC) analysis. The model could explain up to 93% variability by eight factors for which an eigenvalue value was ≥1. Absolute values of the correlation coefficient were above 0.72 (significance at p < 0.05) for 43 elements. From a point of view by consumer, the absolute content of Cd, Hg, Pb in caps of M. procera collected from background (unpolluted) areas could be considered elevated while sporadic/occasional ingestion of this mushroom is considered safe. The multivariate functional analysis revealed on associated accumulation of many elements in this mushroom. M. procera seem to possess some features of a bio-indicative species for anthropogenic Pb but also for some geogenic metals.