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For the first time, highly elevated levels of mercury (Hg) have been documented for several species of the edible Fungi genus Boletus growing in latosols, lateritic red earths, and red and yellow earths from the Yunnan province of China. Analysis of Hg concentrations in the genus suggests that geogenic Hg is the dominant source of Hg in the fungi, whereas anthropogenic sources accumulate largely in the organic layer of the forest soil horizon. Among the 21 species studied from 32 locations across Yunnan and 2 places in Sichuan Province, the Hg was found at elevated level in all samples from Yunnan but not in the samples from Sichuan, which is located outside the mercuriferous belt. Particularly abundant in Hg were the caps of fruiting bodies of Boletus aereus (up to 13 mg kg-1 dry matter), Boletus bicolor (up to 5.5 mg kg-1 dry matter), Boletus edulis (up to 22 mg kg-1 dry matter), Boletus luridus (up to 11 mg kg-1 dry matter), Boletus magnificus (up to 13 mg kg-1 dry matter), Boletus obscureumbrinus (up to 9.4 mg kg-1 dry matter), Boletus purpureus (up to 16 mg kg-1 dry matter), Boletus sinicus (up to 6.8 mg kg-1 dry matter), Boletus speciosus (up to 4.9mg kg-1 dry matter), Boletus tomentipes (up to 13 mg kg-1 dry matter), and Boletus umbriniporus (up to 4.9 mg kg-1 dry matter). Soil samples of the 0–10 cm topsoil layer from the widely distributed locations had mercury levels ranging between 0.034 to 3.4 mg kg-1 dry matter. In Yunnan, both the soil parent rock and fruiting bodies of Boletus spp. were enriched in Hg, whereas the same species from Sichuan, located outside the mercuriferous belt, had low Hg concentrations, suggesting that the Hg in the Yunnan samples is mainly from geogenic sources rather than anthropogenic sources. However, the contribution of anthropogenically-derived Hg sequestered within soils of Yunnan has not been quantified, so more future research is required. Our results suggest that high rates of consumption of Boletus spp. from Yunnan can deliver relatively high doses of Hg to consumers, but that rates can differ widely because of large variability in mercury concentrations between species and locations.

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Fungi play a key role in the transfer of metals from the lithosphere into the biosphere. Within the biodiverse world, mushrooms are the important groups that constitute edible and medicinal mushrooms. Most of the estimated 2,000 species of edible wild mushrooms that grow worldwide are poorly characterized with respect to their composition and multi-mineral constituents as well as their bio-accessibility, while such information is completely absent for numerous species. In the studies of metallic elements and metalloids in mushrooms, the pertinent question is the unraveling of the qualitative and quantitative interrelationships between the elements/ Pol. J. Environ. Stud. Vol. 25, No. 6 (2016), 2445-2460 Original Research AbstractThis paper presents analytical and scientific monitoring data on the bioconcentration potential of trace elements and mineral compounds in Macrolepiota procera collected from background areas in upland regions of central Poland. The contents of Ag, Al, Ba, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Pb, Rb, Sr, and Zn in caps and stipes (99 specimens) and underlying soil substrates were examined by ICP-OES and Hg by CV-AAS after wet digestion. The results showed that M. procera is a rich source of especially Ca, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, and Zn. The contents of Pb, Hg, Ag, and Cd in the caps were 1.7±0.6 to 5.9±1.7, 1.8±0.8 to 5.3±0.8, 1.2±0.7 to 16±7, and 0.56±0.13 to 4.9±5.4 mg kg -1 dry matter, respectively. Probable dietary intake assessment showed that occasional consumption (once a week) of Macrolepiota procera caps could be safe, while consumption more than once a week could provide doses of toxic metals that exceed the provisionally allowed daily intake limits for humans.