UPDATE ON METAL CONTENT PROFILES IN MUSHROOMS - TOXICOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS AND TENTATIVE APPROACH TO THE MECHANISMS OF BIOACCUMULATION

Fifteen metals (macroelements, heavy metals and trace elements) have b een investigated using inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spec trometry (ICP-AES) on 92 specimens of mushrooms collected in France, i n the Paris region. Their levels and distributions are given. Taking i n account the respective contents and bioaccumulation abilities, the d ata reveal that different mechanisms are involved depending on fungi s pecies and genera besides physicochemical influences. Moreover, they s uggest that the different elements might accumulate through various wa ys that are successively mentioned. Metabolic, toxicological and envir onmental significances are discussed. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. A ll rights reserved.