Element Content of the Fruiting Bodies of Chinese Cultivated Edible Mushrooms.

The content of trace elements (Al, As, B, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Li, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Rb, Sb, Se, Sn, Sr, V, Zn) and macroelements (Ca, K, Mg, Na) in 204 samples of 6 species of cultivated edible mushrooms (Hypsizygus marmoreus, Flammulina velutipes, Agaricus bisporus, Pleurotus ostreatus, Lentinula edodes, Pleurotus eryngii) collected from the Shandong region of China was determined. The studied mushrooms varied widely in their content of both trace elements and macroelements. A considerable variation in the macroelement content was observed, with K being the major element, followed by Mg, Na, Ca, and Fe. In accordance with Commission Regulation 2023/1510, three L. edodes samples exhibited Cd exceeding the maximum permissible level. Under the maximum observed level scenario, Al in P eryngii, As in A bisporus, As in P ostreatus, and Pb in all studied species exceeded the health risk indices. The cultivated edible mushrooms were found to make a minor contribution to dietary intake of Ca, Mo, and Se, and to serve only as supplemental sources of Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, and Zn. The findings indicated that cultivated edible mushrooms were generally safe with respect to the mean content of potentially toxic elements except Pb. The content of Al, As, Cd, and Pb in some of the studied species required further attention. The study recommended strengthening the monitoring of toxic metal(loid) content in cultivated edible mushrooms by establishing more comprehensive maximum allowable levels that encompass a wider spectrum of elements and species.