Abstract
Mushrooms exhibit a high ability to accumulate potentially toxic elements. The legal regulations in force in the European Union countries do not define the maximum content of elements in dried wild-grown mushrooms. This study presents the content of mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd) and arsenic (As) determined in dried wild-grown mushrooms (Boletus edulis and Xerocomus badius) available for sale. Moreover, the health risk associated with their consumption is assessed. The inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (Cd, Pb, As) and atomic absorption spectrometry (Hg) were used. The mean Hg, Cd, Pb and As concentration in Boletus edulis was 3.039±1.092, 1.983±1.145, 1.156±1.049 and 0.897±0.469 mg/kg and in Xerocomus badius 0.102±0.020, 1.154±0.596, 0.928±1.810 and 0.278±0.108 mg/kg, respectively. The maximum value of the hazard index (HI) showed that the consumption of a standard portion of dried Boletus edulis may have negative consequences for health and corresponded to 76.2%, 34.1%, 33% and 4.3% of the maximum daily doses of Hg, Cd, Pb and As, respectively. The results indicate that the content of toxic elements in dried wild-grown mushrooms should be monitored. The issue constitutes a legal niche where unfavourable EU regulations may pose a threat to food safety and consumer health.
Highlights
The impact of environmental pollution on human health is a common topic that has aroused interest for many decades, and the issue of food safety seems to be of particular importance
Comparing the results of this research with the literature reports, it can be suggests that the content of toxic elements varies across mushroom species
Statistical analysis showed a significantly higher concentration of all the tested toxic elements in Boletus edulis compared to the values obtained in the samples of Xerocomus badius
Summary
The impact of environmental pollution on human health is a common topic that has aroused interest for many decades, and the issue of food safety seems to be of particular importance. Food products should provide nutrients but should be of appropriate health quality. Consumers should be confident that the products allowed for sale are completely safe and their consumption will not cause adverse health effects. Poland is one of the largest exporters of mushrooms in Europe, growing about 300,000 tons of cultivated and forest mushrooms annually [1]. Picking forest mushrooms is a Polish autumnal tradition and the most popular method of their processing is drying. According to Statistics Poland, in the last decade, the volume of forest mushrooms sold has fluctuated from 2,599 tons (in 2015) to 7,302 tons (in 2017). In 2018, 159 tons of the king boletus and 864 tons of the chanterelle have been exported from Poland [2]. The sales are boosted by mass media campaigns promoting a healthy diet based on products of natural origin
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