Pesticide contaminants in selected species of edible wild mushrooms from the north-eastern part of Poland

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study was to determine the level of chlorinated hydrocarbon residues in selected edible mushrooms from north-eastern Poland. The experiment was carried out on 45 samples consisting of 15 fruiting bodies each of the following species: Boletus edulis, Imleria badia and Cantharellus cibarius. Dried samples were subjected to extraction of lipids with a Soxhlet and a standard procedure—based on the decomposition of lipids by concentrated sulfuric acid and the release of organic insecticides to the hexane layer—was used to determine chlorinated hydrocarbons. The quantitative determination of DDT, DDE, DDD and γ-HCH were conducted using gas chromatography with electron capture detection (GC-ECD). Chlorinated hydrocarbons were found in all tested samples. The contents of these compounds varied between all three species. Mean content of γ-HCH in B. edulis, I. badia and C. cibarius was: 2.60; 4.83; 7.52 µg kg^?1 of lipids, while the content of ΣDDT was: 57.02; 25.20; 127.10 µg kg^?1 of lipids, respectively. These results show that mushrooms from the north-eastern part of Poland can be used as potential bio-indicators of environmental contamination with chlorinated hydrocarbons. Moreover, the studied fungi could still be used as food due to the low levels of analyzed organochlorine compounds.     

Mercury emission from coal-fired power plants in Poland

The paper reviews the current state of knowledge regarding sources of mercury emission in Poland. Due to the large quantities of coal burned at present, as well as taking into account existing reserves, coal remains the main energy source of energy in Poland. The data on coal consumption in Poland in the past, at present and in the future are discussed in the paper. Information on the content of mercury in Polish coals is presented.Coal combustion processes for electricity and heat production are the main source of anthropogenic mercury emission in Poland. It is expected that the current emissions will decrease in the future due to implementation of efficient control measures. These measures for emission reduction are described in the paper. Results of estimated mercury emission from coal-fired power station situated in the Upper Silesia Region, Poland are investigated. A relationship between mercury emission to the air and the mercury content in the consumed coal in power station equipped with the electrostatic precipitators (ESPs) is discussed.     

Mercury in European Blushers,Amanita rubescens,mushrooms and topsoils: Bioconcentration potential and intake assessment

Total mercury content has been determined in fruiting bodies of European Blushers and topsoils collected from 11 sites across Poland in 2006-2008. Mercury analysis was carried out using a validated analytical method and cold-vapour atomic absorption (CV-AAS). The European Blusher effectively accumulated mercury in fruiting bodies. The mean values of total mercury in caps of European Blushers from background (uncontaminated) areas were from 0.22 to 1.0 (0.067-3.2) and in stipes from 0.16 to 0.65 (0.071-2.7) μg/g dry weight. In topsoil beneath to fruiting bodies, the median Hg concentration at 10 sites in Northern Poland varied between 0.030 and 0.072 (0.0096–0.19) μg/g dw, and in one site in Southern Poland was 0.20 (0.079–0.34) μg/g dw. Data on Hg in European Blushers from different countries were reviewed. The mean concentrations of total Hg in caps of European Blushers from two “pristine” sites in northern part of Poland were ～1.0 μg/g dw. A meal made with 300–500 g of fresh caps of European Blushers collected at such sites (assuming 90% water content in caps) can result in Hg intake of 0.0003–0.0005 mg Hg/kg bm (assuming a 60 kg bm), which is a dose equipotent to a new provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI) value set for inorganic Hg.     

Mercury in European Blushers, Amanita rubescens, mushrooms and topsoils: bioconcentration potential and intake assessment

Total mercury content has been determined in fruiting bodies of European Blushers and topsoils collected from 11 sites across Poland in 2006-2008. Mercury analysis was carried out using a validated analytical method and cold-vapour atomic absorption (CV-AAS). The European Blusher effectively accumulated mercury in fruiting bodies. The mean values of total mercury in caps of European Blushers from background (uncontaminated) areas were from 0.22 to 1.0 (0.067-3.2) and in stipes from 0.16 to 0.65 (0.071-2.7) μg/g dry weight. In topsoil beneath to fruiting bodies, the median Hg concentration at 10 sites in Northern Poland varied between 0.030 and 0.072 (0.0096-0.19) μg/g dw, and in one site in Southern Poland was 0.20 (0.079-0.34) μg/g dw. Data on Hg in European Blushers from different countries were reviewed. The mean concentrations of total Hg in caps of European Blushers from two "pristine" sites in northern part of Poland were ～1.0 μg/g dw. A meal made with 300-500 g of fresh caps of European Blushers collected at such sites (assuming 90% water content in caps) can result in Hg intake of 0.0003-0.0005 mg Hg/kg bm (assuming a 60 kg bm), which is a dose equipotent to a new provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI) value set for inorganic Hg.     

Heavy metal bioaccumulation by wild edible saprophytic and ectomycorrhizal mushrooms

Heavy metals cause serious problems in the environment, and they can be accumulated in organisms, especially in the higher fungi. The concentration of Ni, Cr, Pb, Cd, and Hg in 10 species of edible mushrooms in Medvednica Nature Park, Croatia was therefore determined. In addition, the similarity between the studied species was determined by cluster analysis based on concentrations of the aforementioned metals in the fruiting bodies. The contents of nickel, chromium, lead, cadmium, and mercury in the fruiting bodies of mushrooms were obtained by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. The highest concentrations of Ni (3.62 mg kg^?1), Cr (3.01 mg kg^?1), and Cd (2.67 mg kg^?1) were determined in Agaricus campestris. The highest concentration of Pb (1.67 mg kg^?1) was determined in Macrolepiota procera, and the highest concentration of Hg (2.39 mg kg^?1) was determined in Boletus edulis. The concentration of all heavy metals significantly differed (p?<?0.001) between examined saprophytic and ectomycorrhizal mushrooms. Considering anatomical part of the fruiting body (cap-stipe), a considerably higher concentration of the analyzed elements was found in the cap for all mushroom species. According to calculated bioconcentration factors, all the examined species were found to be bioexclusors of Ni, Cr, and Pb and bioaccumulators of Cd and Hg. Cluster analysis performed on the basis of the accumulation of the studied metals revealed great phenotypic similarity of mushroom species belonging to the same genus and partial similarity of species of the same ecological affiliation.

     

Mercury accumulation in the surface layers of mountain soils: a case study from the Karkonosze Mountains, Poland

The study was aimed to examine total concentrations and pools of Hg in surface layers of soils in the Karkonosze Mountains, dependent on soil properties and site locality. Soil samples were collected from a litter layer and the layers 0-10 cm and 10-20 cm, at 68 sites belonging to the net of a monitoring system, in two separate areas, and in three altitudinal zones: below 900 m, 900-1100 m, and over 1100 m. Air-borne pollution was the major source of mercury in soils. Hg has accumulated mainly in the litter (where its concentrations were the highest), and in the layer 0-10 cm. Hg concentrations in all samples were in the range 0.04-0.97 mg kg⁻¹, with mean values 0.38, 0.28, and 0.14 mg kg⁻¹ for litter and the layers 0-10 cm and 10-20 cm, respectively. The highest Hg concentrations in the litter layer were found in the intermediate altitudinal zone, whereas Hg concentrations in the layer 0-10 cm increased with increasing altitude. Soil quality standard for protected areas (0.50 mg kg⁻¹) was exceeded in a few sites. The pools of Hg accumulated in soils were in the range: 0.8-84.8 mg m⁻², with a mean value of 16.5 mg m⁻², and they correlated strongly with the pools of stored organic matter.     

Comparison of organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls residues in vegetables, grain and soil from organic and conventional farming in Poland

Organic and conventional crops were studied by identifying the relationship between persistent organic pollutants in cereals, vegetables and soil. The residues of organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were determined in grains (rye and wheat), vegetables (carrots and beets) and soil collected from the fields. PCB residues recorded in the beets from organic farming were as high as 3.71 ppb dry weight (dry wt.), while in the soil from conventional farming of beets 0.53 ppb dry wt. Among vegetables, higher concentrations of pesticides were detected in organically grown beets (190.63 ppb dry wt.). Soil samples from the organic farming contained lower levels of organochlorine pesticide residues compared to the conventional farming. Taking into account toxicity equivalent (TEQ), the conventionally grown carrots accumulated the most toxic PCBs. Non-ortho and mono-ortho PCBs were also noted in the grain of conventionally grown rye and amounted to 3.05 pg-TEQ/g wet wt.     

Element concentration,daily intake of elements,and health risk indices of wild mushrooms collected from Belgrad Forest and Ilgaz Mountain National Park (Turkey)

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The aim of this study was to determine the element content of wild edible and inedible mushroom species (Agaricus campestris, Armillaria ostoyae,...     

Mercury in the Grisette,Amanita vaginata Fr. and soil below the fruiting bodies

This study examined the mercury concentration in the Grisette Amanita vaginata Fr. and soil below the fruiting bodies collected between 2000 and 2008 from the wild at seven distant sites across Poland. The Hg content in samples was determined by cold atomic absorption method (CV-AAS) at a wavelength of 253.7 nm. Mean Hg contents varied from 0.096 ± 0.052 to 0.48 ± 0.13 mg kg^?1 dry matter (dm) in caps (range, 0.043–0.73 mg kg^?1), from 0.047 ± 0.02 to 0.23 ± 0.07 mg kg^?1 dm (range, 0.028–0.47 mg kg^?1) in stipes, and in underlying soil were from 0.035 ± 0.018 to 0.096 ± 0.036 mg kg^?1 dm (range, 0.017 to 0.16 mg kg^?1). The median Qc/s values ranged from 1.2 to 2.2 (mean 1.2 ± 0.4 to 2.1 ± 0.5) indicating that Hg content in stipes was generally lower than in caps. This mushroom species has some potential to bioconcentrate Hg in the fruiting bodies, as the values of the bioconcentration factor (BCF) varied for the sites between 1.2 ± 0.6 to 11 ± 5 for caps and 0.61 ± 0.26 to 7.4 ± 3.9 for stipes. Also available literature data on Hg in A. vaginata are reviewed and discussed.     

Mercury concentrations and air/soil fluxes in Wuchuan mercury mining district,Guizhou province,China

Wuchuan Hg mine, located in the Circum-Pacific Global Mercuriferous Belt, is one of the important Hg production centers in Guizhou province, China. Soil Hg concentrations in this area are elevated by 2–4 orders of magnitude compared to the national background value in soil which is 0.038 μg g⁻¹. In situ air Hg concentrations and air/soil Hg fluxes were measured at five sampling sites in Wuchuan Hg mining area (WMMA) from 19 to 26 December 2003 and from 18 to 25 December 2004. The results showed that air Hg concentrations were 2–4 orders of magnitude higher than those observed in background areas in Europe and North America due to a large amount of Hg emission from artisanal Hg smelting activities. The average in situ Hg fluxes at site Laohugou, Jiaoyan, Luoxi, Sankeng and Huanglong were −5493, 124, −924, −13 and 140 ng m⁻² h⁻¹, respectively. Diurnal pattern of Hg flux was not found and a number of negative Hg fluxes were observed in our sampling campaigns. The correlations between Hg fluxes and meteorological parameters such as solar irradiation, air temperature, soil temperature and relative humidity and air Hg concentrations were investigated. The commonly observed significant correlations between Hg fluxes and meteorological parameters observed in many previous studies were not obtained in WMMA. However, significantly negative correlations between Hg flux and air Hg concentration were observed at all sites. Our study demonstrated that highly elevated air Hg concentrations could suppress Hg emission processes even from Hg-enriched soil. At specific conditions in WMMA, air Hg concentrations play a dominant role in controlling Hg emission from soil.     

Mercury emissions from automobiles using gasoline,diesel, and LPG

Mercury (Hg) emissions from gasoline, diesel, and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) vehicles were measured and speciated (particulate, oxidized, and elemental mercury). First, three different fuel types were analyzed for their original Hg contents; 571.1±4.5 ng L⁻¹ for gasoline, 185.7±2.6 ng L⁻¹ for diesel, and 1230.3±23.5 ng L⁻¹ for LPG. All three vehicles were then tested at idling and driving modes. Hg in the exhaust gas was mostly in elemental form (Hg⁰), and no detectable levels of particulate (Hg^p) or oxidized (Hg²⁺) mercury were measured. At idling modes, Hg concentrations in the exhaust gas of gasoline, diesel, and LPG vehicles were 1.5–9.1, 1.6–3.5, and 10.2–18.6 ng m⁻³, respectively. At driving modes, Hg concentrations were 3.8–16.8 ng m⁻³ (gasoline), 2.8–8.5 ng m⁻³ (diesel), and 20.0–26.9 ng m⁻³ (LPG). For all three vehicles, Hg concentrations at driving modes were higher than at idling modes. Furthermore, Hg emissions from LPG vehicle was highest of all three vehicle types tested, both at idling and driving modes, as expected from the fact that it had the highest original fuel Hg content.     

Chemical composition of water from roofs in Gdansk, Poland

This study deals with the assessment of roof runoff waters from the region of Gdansk collected during the winter season (2007/2008). The chemical analysis includes 16 chemical variables: major ions, PAHs and PCBs measured at 3 sampling sites for 6-14 rain events. Although the data set is of limited volume the statistical data treatment using self-organizing maps (SOM) reveals the main factors controlling roof runoff water quality even for a data set with small dimension. This effort for explanation of the identified factors by the possible emission sources of the urban environment and air-particulate formation seems to be very reliable. Additionally to the roof runoff water quality factors the rain events patterns are found: “background” group of events and groups formally named “PAHs”, “PCBs” and “air-borne particles” - dominated events. The SOM classification results give an opportunity to uncover the role of roof “impact” on the runoff waters.Rain runoff water quality is described by four latent factors and the “roof” impact is uncovered.     

Mercury in Precipitation at an Urbanized Coastal Zone of the Baltic Sea (Poland)

Wet deposition is an important source of metals to the sea. The temporal variability of Hg concentrations in precipitation, and the impact of air masses of different origins over the Polish coastal zone were assessed. Samples of precipitation were collected (August 2008–May 2009) at an urbanized coastal station in Poland. Hg analyses were conducted using CVAFS. These were the first measurements of Hg concentration in precipitation obtained in the Polish coastal zone. Since Poland was identified as the biggest emitter of Hg to the Baltic, these data are very important. In the heating and non-heating season, Hg concentrations in precipitation were similar. Hg wet deposition flux dominated in summer, when the production of biomass in the aquatic system was able to actively adsorb Hg. Input of metal to the sea was attributed to regional and distant sources. Maritime air masses, through transformation of Hg(0), were an essential vector of mercury in precipitation.     

Metal and metalloid contamination in roadside soil and wild rats around a Pb-Zn mine in Kabwe, Zambia

Metal (Cr, Co, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb, Ni) and metalloid (As) accumulation was studied in roadside soil and wild rat (Rattus sp.) samples from near a Pb-Zn mine (Kabwe, Zambia) and the capital city of Zambia (Lusaka). The concentrations of the seven metals and As in the soil samples and Pb in the rat tissue samples were quantified using atomic absorption spectroscopy. The concentrations of Pb, Zn, Cu, Cd, and As in Kabwe soil were much higher than benchmark values. Geographic Information System analysis indicated the source of metal pollution was mining and smelting activity. Interestingly, the area south of the mine was more highly contaminated even though the prevailing wind flow was westward. Wild rats from Kabwe had much higher tissue concentrations of Pb than those from Lusaka. Their body weight and renal Pb levels were negatively correlated, which suggests that mining activity might affect terrestrial animals in Kabwe.     

Mercury transfer from soil to olive trees. A comparison of three different contaminated sites

Mercury contents in soil and olive tree leaves have been studied in 69 plots around three different source areas of this element in Spain: Almadén (Ciudad Real), Flix (Tarragona) and Jódar (Jaén). Almadén was the world’s largest cinnabar (HgS) mining district and was active until 2003, Flix is the oldest Spanish chlor-alkali plant (CAP) and has been active from 1898 to the present day and Jódar is a decommissioned CAP that was active for 14 years (1977–1991). Total mercury contents have been measured by high-frequency modulation atomic absorption spectrometry with Zeeman effect (ZAAS-HFM) in the soils and olive tree leaves from the three studied areas. The average soil contents range from 182 μg kg^?1 in Flix to 23,488 μg kg^?1 in Almadén, while the average leaf content ranges from 161 μg kg^?1 in Jódar to 1213 μg kg^?1 in Almadén. Despite the wide range of data, a relationship between soil–leaf contents has been identified: in Almadén and Jódar, multiplicative (bilogarithmic) models show significant correlations (R?=?0.769 and R?=?0.484, respectively). Significant correlations were not identified between soil and leaf contents in Flix. The continuous activity of the Flix CAP, which remains open today, can explain the different uptake patterns for mercury, which is mainly atmospheric in origin, in comparison to the other two sites, where activity ceased more than 10 years ago and only soil uptake patterns based on the Michaelis–Menten enzymatic model curve are observed.     

Mercury in fish from the Pinchi Lake Region, British Columbia, Canada

Water, surface sediments, and <40 cm rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and northern pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus oregonensis) were collected from Pinchi Lake, British Columbia, and from several nearby reference lakes. Hg concentrations in sediment samples from Pinchi L. were highly elevated compared to sediments from reference lakes, especially in sites adjacent to and downstream of a former Hg mine. In both fish species examined, Hg concentration was positively related to age and/or fork length. In northern pikeminnow, Hg concentrations were also positively related to trophic level (deltaN). Hg concentrations in both fish species were highest in Pinchi L., and were higher in pikeminnow than in rainbow trout of similar size. Average Hg concentrations in small rainbow trout from all lakes, including Pinchi L., were lower than dietary levels reported to cause reproductive impairment in common loons (Gavia immer); however, Hg levels in small pikeminnow from Pinchi L. were sufficiently high to be of concern. The risk for Hg toxicity in the study area is greatest for animals that consume larger piscivorous fish such as larger northern pikeminnow or lake trout, which are known from previous studies to contain higher Hg concentrations.     

Metal concentration and health risk assessment of eight Russula mushrooms collected from Kizilcahamam-Ankara,Turkey

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The aim of this study was to determine the essential element (Zn, Ca, K, Fe, Na, and Mg), essential trace element (Co, Mn, Cr, and Cu), and...     

Determination of PCDDs,PCDFs, PCBs and HCB emissions from the metallurgical sector in Poland

Background The aim of the project was to measure the actual emissions of PCDD/F, PCBs and HCB from 20 selected metallurgical installations in Poland, in order to update the national inventory of dioxin emission from metallurgical industry for developing a strategy for dioxins and furans emission abatement from the subject facilities (UNEP 2005). Methods Sampling methodology used in this work was developed at the Cracow University of Technology because of the complexity of simultaneous sampling and determining PCDFs, PCDDs, PCB and HCB. For the determination a GC-MS/MS system was used. Results and Discussion Results from the work indicate that the highest dioxins and PCB concentrations were recorded for iron ore sintering plants at 1.10–1.32 ng total¹ TEQ/Nm³ followed by aluminium scrap melting at 0.03–0.66 ng total TEQ/Nm³. The highest HCB concentrations at 613–1491 ng/Nm³ were also recorded for iron ore sintering plants, whereas at aluminium plants the HCB concentrations were in the range of only 10.1–22.7 ng/Nm³. Conclusions The above investigations indicate that secondary aluminium production is the most significant dioxins source, if calculated as emission factor values. However, iron ore sintering plants are operating at much higher production capacity, causing this process to become the major source of dioxins, PCB and HCB pollution to the atmosphere in Poland. Recommendations and Perspectives Based on the performed tests and the environmental reviews of selected plants several recommendations were formulated for the reduction of generation or of emission of these pollutants from iron ore sintering plants, electric arc furnace steel production processes, hot-blast furnace operations, secondary aluminium smelting and primary zinc production from zinc cathodes.