a b s t r a c t
Mushrooms do not constitute a significant portion of the human diet, but the consumption of wild and
cultivated mushrooms has become increasingly in recent years. Some species accumulate high levels of
toxic metals, both in unpolluted and polluted areas. In this study, we examined the accumulation capacity
of cadmium in edible mushrooms in relation to certain factors and their possible toxicological
implications. Cadmium concentrations were determined by an ICP-MS spectrometer in 238 samples of
the fruiting bodies of 28 wild and cultivated growing edible mushrooms species and the underlying soil.
The hymenophore (H) and the rest of the fruiting body (RFB) were analysed separately. The highest mean
cadmium concentration (mg/kg dry weight) was found in Agaricus macrosporus (52.9 in H and 28.3 in
RFB). All mushroom species accumulated cadmium in relation to the underlying soils. There were statistically
significant differences between the hymenophore and the rest of the fruiting body (p < 0.001).
Cadmium concentrations were compared to data in the literature and to levels set by legislation. It was
concluded that consumption of our studied mushrooms is not a toxicological risk as far as cadmium
content is concerned, although the species A. macrosporus should not be consumed.