Arsenobetaine and other arsenic species in mushrooms

Abstract

Abstract Arsenic species in arsenic accumulating mush‐ rooms (Sarcosphaera coronaria, Laccaria amethystina, Sarcodon imbricatum, Entoloma lividum, Agaricus haemorrhoidaius, Agaricus placomyces, Lycoperdon perlatum) were determined. HPLC/ICP MS and ion‐exchange chromatogra‐ phy–instrumental neutron activation analysis (NAA) combinations were used. The remarkable accumulator Sarcosphaera coronaria (up to 2000 mg As kg −1 dry wt) contained only methylarsonic acid, Entoloma lividum only arsenite and arsenate. In Laccaria amethystina dimethylarsinic acid was the major arsenic compound. Sarcodon imbricatum and the two Agaricus sp. were found to contain arsenobetaine as the major arsenic species, a form which had previously been found only in marine biota. Its identification was confirmed by electron impact MS.