Influence of some factors in toxicity and accumulation of cadmium from edible wild macrofungi in nw Spain.

Cadmium content of 97 samples of some edible wild mushrooms, corresponding to 13 different species, was determined by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Influence of some factors (species and ecology, morphological portion, and traffic pollution) and the importance of mushrooms as a dietary source of this heavy metal have been studied. Saprophite species showed higher levels than mycorrhizal ones (p < 0.001), with some exceptions such as Boletus and Amanita. The hymenophore was always the morphological portion which contained the highest cadmium levels (p < 0.001). Traffic pollution was not a significant factor for the cadmium accumulation in fungi. The samples of Agaricus macrosporus showed the highest mean levels (68.96 and 36.84 ppm dry matter (d. m.) for hymenophore and the rest of the fruit-body, respectively). The average cadmium content of the samples, with the exception of A. macrosporus, was 0.96 for hymenophore and 0.53 ppm d.m. for the rest of the fruit-body; and the range was between 0.18-4.32 and 0.10-1.91 ppm d.m. for hymenophore and the rest of the fruit-body. The concentration levels were compared to literature data and levels set by legislation, and the contribution of mushrooms to the weekly intake of cadmium per person was calculated. The possible health risk for the consumer is pointed out.