Mercury in mushrooms and soil from the Wielunska Upland in south-central Poland

Concentrations of mercury were determined in the fruiting bodies of 15 species of higher mushrooms and underlying soil substrate collected from Wielunska Upland in northern part of Sandomierska Valley in south-central Poland in 1995. A total of 197 samples of caps, 197 stalks, 30 whole fruiting bodies and 227 soil (0 10cm layer) were analyzed. Mean mercury concentrations in soil substrate corresponding to 15 mushroom species were between 28+/-17 and 85+/-62 ng/g dry matter (total range between 3.0 190 ng/g). The average cap to stalk concentration quotients of Hg were around 2 (range between 1.1+/-1.1 and 2.8+/-1.4). However, this quotient in Larch bolete (Suillus grevillei) was 4.4+/-6.3. Concentrations of Hg varied depending on the mushroom species. Parasol Mushroom (Macrolepiota procera) and Horse mushroom (Agaricus arvensis) contained the greatest mean mercury concentrations both in caps (between 4500+/-1700 and 4400+/-2400 ng/g dry matter) and stalks (between 2800+/-1300 and 3000+/-2000 ng/g dry matter). Both the Parasol Mushroom and Horse mushroom were characterised also by a greater potential to bioconcentrate mercury from soils as evidenced by great bioconcentration factors (BCFs), which were between 170+/-160 and 130+/-120 for caps, and 110+/-97 and 89+/-92 for stalks. Mercury concentrations in caps and stalks of False death cap (Anzanita citrina) increased (p<0.05) with increasing soil mercury contents. An opposite trend was observed for Queleta brittle gills (Russula queleti), Grat knight-cap (Tricholoma terreum), Fly agaric (Amanita muscaria), Common scaber stalk (Leccinum scabrum) and Slippery jack (Suillus luteus).