Contents of cadmium, lead and nickel in mushrooms and respective soils [Conteúdos de cádmio, chumbo e níquel em cogumelos e respectivos solos]

The purpose of this investigation was to quantify cadmium, lead, and nickel in wild mushrooms and respective underlying soils from two different regions of Portugal. These metals were quantified by Electrothermal Atomization Atomic Absorption Spectrometry. The values found were: (i) for cadmium, 0.69±1.1 μg/g in caps, 0.39±0.79 μg/g in stalks and 0.011±0.013 μg/g in soils; (ii) for nickel, 1.1±1.6 μg/g in caps, 1.88±1.13 μg/g in stalks, and 74.0±123 μg/g in soils; (iii) for lead, 0.092±0.17 μg/g in caps, 0.15±0.15 μg/g in stalks and 0.45±0.25 μg/g in soils. Lead contents were significantly higher in the soils and mushrooms from the industrialized region of Beira Interior compared to those of the rural region of Trás-os-Montes. Nickel levels were significantly higher in the soils of the rural region, but there were no differences in nickel contents of mushrooms from the two regions. Mushrooms highly accumulated cadmium as shown by the bioconcentration factors (BCF cap=64 and BCF stalk=26) while lead and nickel were excluded (BCFs<