Biosorption of detrimental heavy metals by wild edible mushrooms of West Bengal

Abstract

Biosorption of three detrimental heavy metals, viz. mercury, lead and cadmium in the fruit bodies of ten wild edible Mushrooms growing in the polluted and unpolluted zone of West Bengal were determined by atomic absorption spectroscopy. In the polluted zone, maximum accumulation of mercury in the fruit bodies of Mushrooms noted was 19.3 mg/kg in Calocybe indica followed by 18.2 mg/kg in Agaricus arvensis and 15.7 mg/kg in Agaricus campestris. Minimum absorption of mercury was 2.2 mg/kg in Astreus hygrometricus in the polluted zone. Low levels of mercury ranging from 0.5 to 1.1 mg/kg was noted in the Mushrooms collected from the unpolluted zone. Lead was absorbed extensively by Lycoperdon pyriforme and Lycoperdon gigantium with average mean values 21.4 mg/kg and 19.0 mg/kg in the polluted zone. In the unpolluted area, maximum concentration of lead was 2.1 mg/kg noted in the fruit bodies of Lepiota leprica. Biosorption of cadmium was maximum in Agaricus campestris and Agaricus arvensis with mean values of 45.5 mg/kg and 36.4 mg/kg in the polluted area. In other Mushroom species, the cadmium absorption level was low ranging from 2.3 to 8.7 mg/kg. In the unpolluted area, maximum accumulating species was Auricularia polytricha with mean values of 1.7 mg/kg.