Edible Spruce (Morchella esculenta), Accumulator of Toxic Elements in the Environment

In this study we examined the dried fruiting bodies of Morchella esculenta, collected in the area of the coal and biomass based thermal power plant in Vojany from the nearby Bahoň marsh, in the Slovak Republic. The area is characterized by a high environmental burden, especially because of air pollutant emissions from the power plant operation. Twenty-three (23) chemical elements were found in the dried fruiting bodies after microwave-assisted sample preparation using an Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrophotometer ICP-MS AGILENT 7500c system. The mercury content was determined employing a special AMA 254 apparatus intended for the determination of Hg directly in dry powdered fruiting bodies without microwave digestion. The content of toxic elements expressed in mg.kg⁻¹ DW (dry weight) were as follows: Hg 0.048—0.052 (RSD—Relative Standard Deviation = 4.80 %); Cd 4.543—6.169 (RSD = 3.35 %); Pb 0.261—0.291 (RSD = 2.67 %); As 0.455—0.469 (RSD = 5.79 %); Cr 1.585—1.616 (RSD = 2.33 %); and Ni 8.166—9.276 (RSD = 3.03 %). The contents of cadmium, nickel and mercury exceeded the hygiene limits, while the contents of arsenic and lead approached the hygiene limits. Due to the high levels of toxic elements, the fruiting bodies collected in the location are not suitable for culinary purposes. The mushroom Morchella esculenta acts as an accumulator of toxic elements from the environment in which it grows and can be considered as an indicator of environmental pollution.