Heavy Metal Content in Pavement Mushrooms Harvested within the Urban Area of Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina) and an Assessment of Associated Health Risks
This study investigated the ability of pavement mushrooms (Agaricus bitorquis (Quél.) Sacc.) to uptake heavy metals (Cu, Zn, Pb, Cr, Cd, and Ni) from the soil in Sarajevo’s urban area and the potential health hazards related to their consumption. The levels of tested heavy metals in soil and mushroom samples were determined using the flame atomic absorption spectroscopy technique. The phytoextraction potential was estimated using bioaccumulation factor (BAF) analysis, while the evaluation of the non-carcinogenic, long-term risk to human health through the consumption of the studied mushrooms was performed using the Target Hazard Quotient (THQ) value. The study revealed that particular soils within the urban zone of Sarajevo are contaminated with Cu and Pb. The average content of tested heavy metals in the fruiting bodies of pavement mushrooms decreased in the order of Cu > Zn > Pb > Cr > Ni > Cd, regardless of the soils from which the mushrooms were collected. The BAF values obtained in this study indicated that pavement mushrooms have a high ability to accumulate Cd and Cu, while showing a limited ability to absorb Pb and Ni. The THQ values for all heavy metals analysed in pavement mushrooms were considerably lower than one for both adults and children, suggesting that consuming pavement mushrooms gathered from experimental sites poses no non-carcinogenic health risks related to the heavy metals studied.