Abstract
Wild-growing edible mushrooms are valuable food with a high content of proteins, fibers, antioxidants, and they are characterized by their specific taste and flavor. However, from an ecotoxicological point of view, they are a risk commodity because of their extremely high bioaccumulative capacity to accumulate the risk elements and contaminants from the environment. In the present study, we examined mercury (Hg) contamination in 230 fruiting bodies of Macrolepiota procera (Scop.) Singer and 230 soil/substrate samples, which were collected in foraging seasons 2015–2019 from 22 different locations in Slovakia. Total mercury content was determined by cold-vapor AAS analyzer AMA 254. The level of contamination and environmental risks were assessed by contamination factor (Cf), index of geoaccumulation (Igeo), and potential environmental risk index (PER). Bioaccumulation factor (BAF) was calculated for individual anatomical parts of M. procera. Mercury content in the soil/substrate samples varied between 0.02 and 0.89 mg kg−1 DW, and in mushroom samples between 0.03 and 2.83 mg kg−1 DW (stems), and between 0.04 and 6.29 mg kg−1 DW (caps). The obtained results were compared with the provisional tolerable weekly intake for Hg defined by WHO to determine a health risk resulting from regular and long-term consumption of M. procera.
Highlights
Introduction iationsNowadays, mushrooms are considered valuable foods, because of their attractive sensory characteristics and their culinary features and for their nutritional properties [1]
The present study aims to determine the level of mercury contamination of M. procera and soil/substrate samples
This study has been carried out to investigate the accumulation of mercury in edible wild-growing M. procera and its corresponding soil/substrate from 22 different localities in Slovakia
Summary
All mushroom samples (n = 230) were cleaned up from any organic and inorganic debris and the bottom part of the stem was cut off. After that, they were divided into two parts: cap and stem. The dried samples were pulverized in the rotary homogenizer (IKA Mills A 10 basic -Werke GmbH & Co. KG, Staufen, Germany) and stored in polyethylene bags until further analysis. The samples were air-dried at room temperature for 3 weeks. Afterward, they were sieved through a mesh sieve (2 mm) and stored in paper bags until the analysis
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