Mercury in wild mushrooms and underlying soil substrate from the great lakes land in Poland

Abstract

Fifteen species of wild mushrooms and underlying soil samples collected in a virgin landscape of Augustowska Forest in north-eastern Poland in 1997–98 were analyzed for total mercury to evaluate the status of contamination and usefulness of higher mushrooms as possible bioindicators of mercury pollution. Among the 15 species analyzed, Pinewood King Bolete, Scaly Tooth and King Bolete showed relatively high bioconcentration factors (BCF: dry-weight normalized concentrations of mercury in mushrooms relative to concentrations in soil) for mercury, which varied between 69 and 110. These three species were also characterized by great concentrations of total mercury in caps (between 2,000 ± 800 and 2,300 ± 1,100 ng g⁻¹ dry wt) and stalks (between 850 ± 390 and 1,000 ± 500 ng g⁻¹ dry wt.). Species such as Red-hot Milk Cap, Poison Pax and Common Chantherelle had mercury BCFs of less than 1, while Gipsy Bolete, Orange Birch Bolete, Brown Scaber Stalk, Variegated Bolete, Sandy Knight-cap and Yellow-cracking Bolete were weak or moderate mercury accumulators with BCFs between 1 and 40. Concentrations of mercury in mushrooms were greater than the tolerance limits suggested for mercury in plant foods.