DETERMINATION OF ACRYLAMIDE MONOMER IN MUSHROOMS GROWN ON POLYACRYLAMIDE-GEL

Mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus) grown on a casing mixture containing polyacrylamide gel have been analyzed to assess the possible uptake of acrylamide monomer from the polymer gel to the fruit during cultivation. The polymer was found to contain 220 mg/kg residual monomer. At the application rate employed for cultivation this would have given an initial monomer level of 220 mug/kg in the casing mix. Mushrooms were analyzed by extraction, bromination, and quantification of acrylamide as 2-bromopropenamide using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in the selected ion mode. No acrylamide monomer could be detected at a limit of detection of 0.5 mug/kg. This demonstrates that acrylamide either does not translocate significantly from the mycelia to the mushroom fruit or that the monomer does not bioaccumulate, due perhaps to a high water solubility or chemical reactivity.