Lead Content in Edible Wild Mushrooms in Northwest Spain as Indicator of Environmental Contamination

Abstract

Lead content was determined in wild growing mushrooms collected from two different areas in the Province of Lugo (NW Spain). It has been analyzed by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry in 95 samples of 13 species (7 mycorrhizals and 6 saprophites). In an assessment of lead concentrations, the following factors have been considered: species and ecology, morphological portion, and traffic pollution. The average lead concentration of the samples was 1 ppm dry weight (dw). Saprophite species presented higher levels than mycorrhizal ones (< 1 ppm), Coprinus comatus reaching the maximum mean concentration with 2.06 and 2.79 ppm of dw in the hymenophore and the rest of the fruit body. Morphological portion, statistically, did not show significant difference between the two portions; however, Macrolepiota procera always presented lead high levels in the hymenophore in all samples. The effect due to traffic pollution has been specially observed in Coprinus comatus, presenting the highest concentration with values of 6.51 and 10.43 ppm, respectively, in samples collected in the city center. This species, as other researchers have indicated, could be considered as an indicator by lead contamination. The contribution of mushrooms to the weekly intake of lead was calculated and the possible health risk for the consumer is pointed out. These data are of great importance in view of toxicology and partly environmental protection.

Relationship Between Testate Amoeba (Protist) Communities and Atmospheric Heavy Metals Accumulated in Barbula indica (Bryophyta) in Vietnam

“…Few studies have focused on the effect on microorganisms of heavy metal pollution in soil and water pollution [25,26,38] or of atmospheric pollution [16,27,28,49].…”

Acumulación de selenio en setas silvestres comestibles: captación y toxicidad Selenium accumulation in wild edible mushrooms: uptake and toxicity

“…Igual razonamiento puede hacerse acerca de la influencia del factor ecologı´a: cara´cter de micorriza o sapro´fita, no existen diferencias estadı´sticamente significativas en contraste con los resultados obtenidos sobre otros metales (Alonso, Melgar, & Garcı´a, 1996;Alonso, Salgado, Garcı´a, & Melgar 2000;Alonso, Garcı´a, Pe´rez-Lo´pez, & Melgar 2003, 2004Garcı´a et al, 1998;Melgar, Alonso, Pe´rez-Lo´pez, & Garcı´a, 1998 (DOUE, 2006(DOUE, , 2008. Sin embargo, en el mismo, no se hace ninguna referencia al selenio.…”

“…Las muestras se prepararon segu´n el me´todo utilizado en otros estudios (Garcı´a, Alonso, Ferna´ndez, & Melgar, 1998): los carpo´foros se limpiaron y se separaron dos partes anato´micas (himeno´foro o zona fe´rtil en donde se forman las esporas sexuales, y el resto del carpo´foro). Posteriormente se procedio´a la homogeneizacio´n en un homogeneizador de vidrio borosilicado con e´mbolo de pisto´n en PTFE estriado.…”

A Review of Approaches Targeting the Replacement of Coccidiostat Application in Poultry Production

“…Mushroom extracts have been increasingly sold as dietary supplements for their ability to enhance the immune system and promote health (Garcia et al, 1998). Mushroom extracts have anti-tumor properties.…”