The mycoremediation of metals polluted soils using wild growing species of mushrooms

Abstract

Many of mushrooms species from the forest area of Bucegi Mountains are consumed by the native population without thinking about the heavy metals uptake in the human body. From all the edible species we choose eight mushrooms, part of them considered edible and part with uncertain edibility. Heavy metals concentration in the fruiting body of mushrooms are different from one species to another and shows mean values of 11.94 mg/kg for Ti, 1.07 mg/kg for Sr, 1163.86 mg/kg for Bi and 17.49 mg/kg for Mn. The bioconversion factor of heavy metals represent the level of metals concentration in the mushrooms body correlated with the metallic element in the soil on which the fungus growth, and has the highest values in Marasmius oreades species for bismuth and titanium.