Mercury accumulation of three Lactarius mushroom species

Accumulation, distribution and potential dietary intake of mercury accumulated by mushrooms of Lactarius species L. delicious, L. volemus and L. deterrimus were studied in the Pomerania region of Poland. In total, 212 fruiting bodies and 106 underlying topsoil samples were analyzed. Analysis indicated that the concentrations of Hg were at low levels both in mushrooms and forest topsoils for a majority of the locations investigated. L. volemus that grew in soils with only a slightly elevated contamination (0.11 ± 0.07 mg kg−1 of dried soil), very efficiently accumulated Hg in fruiting bodies and concentration levels were at 3.7 ± 1.3 mg kg−1 of dry biomass in caps and at 1.9 ± 0.9 mg kg−1 of dry biomass in stipes. Consumption of mushrooms foraged from the Sobowidz forest, which is close to a foundry using ferrous and non-ferrous metals could result in a Hg intake that exceeds the current statutory limits.