Assessment of the Impact of Metals in Wild Edible Mushrooms from Dambovita County, Romania, on Human Health

Edible wild mushrooms have considerable nutritional value, being widely used in Romania as a traditional food. Mushrooms are an important source of essential minerals for the optimal functioning of the body and can accumulate some toxic metals that affect human health, this being the reason to investigate their metal content, and the possible risks to human health associated with consuming mushrooms. Eighteen wild edible mushroom species from the forestry areas of Dâmbovița County, Romania, were analyzed for metal content using Energy-Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence with fundamental parameter methods (EDXRF-FP). The detected concentrations varied among species as follows: 6.309-88.745 mg/kg for Fe; 0.679-3.480 mg/kg for Cu; 5.115-25.942 mg/kg for Zn; 0.236-32.025 mg/kg for Mn; 0.033-4.507 mg/kg for Ni and 0.003-0.760 mg/kg for Cr. Pb and Cd were observed at low levels, with maximum concentrations of 0.886 mg/kg and 0.850 mg/kg, respectively, highlighting significant interspecific differences in metal content. The consumption of the studied mushroom species presents variable health risks associated with metal content. Adults were generally exposed to acceptable non-carcinogenic risks, although certain species possessed elevated carcinogenic risks due to Cu, Cr, and Cd. For children, non-carcinogenic risks were significant in cases of multiple species, indicating heightened vulnerability.