Bioconcentration of mercury by mushroom Xerocomus chrysenteron from the spatially distinct locations: Levels, possible intake and safety

• Mercury was examined in X. chrysenteron and beneath soils.
• Data for specimens from 22 spatially distantly distributed places.
• X. chrysenteron has potential for sequestration of Hg but not strong.
• Exposures to Hg for consumers of X. chrysenteron from Poland are below guidelines on safe exposures.

Concentrations of mercury were determined in specimens of Red Cracking Bolete (Xerocomus chrysenteron) (Bull.) Quél. and overlying soil (0–10 cm) collected from 22 spatially distributed sites in Poland during 1996–2013 to assess the potential of this species to bioconcentrate Hg and possible intake by humans. The mean Hg concentrations ranged from 80 to 630 for caps and from 28 to 380 ng/g dry matter (dm) for stipes. Decrease in the potential of this mushroom species to bioconcentrate Hg both in caps and stipes was observed when the Hg content in soil substratum increased from 15 to 75–94 ng/g dm. A maximum median value for bioconcentration factor (BCF) of Hg determined for caps was 18 for soil with Hg content at 15 ng/g dm and decreased to 0.97–3.8 for soils that contained Hg at 37–94 ng/g dm. Caps of X. chrysenteron consumed at a volume of 300 g daily in a week can yield an exposure amount of Hg at 0.0168–0.1323 mg (0.00024 to 0.00189 mg/kg body mass); these values are well below the provisionally tolerated weekly intake (PTWI) for inorganic Hg.