DOI: https://doi.org/10.5513/JCEA01/27.3.5023
Original scientific paper
Potentially toxic element accumulation in wild mushroom rhizospheres and fruiting bodies with human health risk assessment in the Czech Republic
2026, 27 (3) p. 785-798
Shahzaib Ali, Martin Šeda, Jiří Krejsa, Jan Šíma, Sadia Baloch, Jaroslav Bernas
Abstract
Potentially toxic elements (PTEs) loaded with fungal fruiting bodies consumption may lead to human health repercussions. This study was conducted to examine the PTE (Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn) concentrations in rhizospheres (10 cm) and in the dry matter of mushrooms collected from the Czech Republic, where wild mushroom harvesting is highly popular. Non-carcinogenic human health risk assessments were also performed. The results showed that Fe was the dominant element in both soils and mushroom fruiting bodies, followed by Mn, Zn, and Cu. Species-specific accumulation patterns were observed across the study sites, with higher element concentrations generally detected in mushrooms collected from roadside environments compared with the control locality. Differences in accumulation capacity were observed among mushroom species, indicating species-dependent uptake of potentially toxic elements. The non-carcinogenic health effects were highest in the rhizosphere of Švihov dam D1 (100%) and lowest in the rhizosphere of Ledenice (18.3%). The most affected area was Švihov dam D1, followed by Humpolec D1 and Ledenice. It was concluded that rhizosphere contamination of edible mushrooms could cause non-carcinogenic health issues, which could be avoided by avoiding areas in risk zones, such as those near highways or heavily trafficked roads.
Keywords
potentially toxic elements, mushrooms, food chain, bioconcentration, non-carcinogenic health risks assessment
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