Mercury in forest mushrooms and topsoil from the Yunnan highlands and the subalpine region of the Minya Konka summit in the Eastern Tibetan Plateau.
This study aimed to investigate and discuss the occurrence and accumulation of mercury in the fruiting bodies of wild-growing fungi (Macromycetes) collected from montane forests in two regions of southwestern China with differences in soil geochemistry, climate and geographical conditions. Fungal mycelia in soils of the subalpine region of the Minya Konka (Gongga Mountain) in Sichuan and in the highlands of Yunnan efficiently accumulated mercury in fruiting bodies (mushrooms). The examined sites in Yunnan with highly mineralized red and yellow soils showed Hg contents ranging from 0.066 to 0.28 mg kg-1dry biomass (db) which is roughly similar to the results obtained for samples collected from sites with dark soils relatively rich in organic matter from a remote, the subalpine region of Minya Konka. Due to the remoteness of the subalpine section of Minya Konka, as well as its elevation and climate, airborne mercury from long-range transport could be deposited preferentially on the topsoil and the Hg levels determined in soil samples taken beneath the fruiting bodies were up to 0.48 mg kg-1dry matter. In Yunnan, with polymetallic soils (Circum-Pacific Mercuriferous Belt), Amanita mushrooms showed mercury in caps of fruiting bodies of up to 7.3 mg kg-1dry biomass. Geogenic Hg from the mercuriferous belt seems to be the overriding source of mercury accumulated in mushrooms foraged in the regions of Yunnan, while long-range atmospheric transport and subsequent deposition are the mercury sources for specimens foraged in the region of Minya Konka.
Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Gdańsk University, Gdańsk, Poland. jerzy.falandysz@ug.edu.pl.
Jerzy
J
Falandysz
Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Gdańsk University, Gdańsk, Poland.
Martyna
M
Saba
College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China.
Hong-Gao
HG
Liu
College of Resources and Environment, Yuxi Normal University, Yuxi, China.
Tao
T
Li
Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China.|Institute of Soil and Fertilizer, Sichuan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Chengdu, China.
Ji-Peng
JP
Wang
Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Gdańsk University, Gdańsk, Poland.
Anna
A
Wiejak
Institute of Medicinal Plants, Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Kunming, China.|Yunnan Technical Center for Quality of Chinese Materia Medica, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
Ji
J
Zhang
Institute of Medicinal Plants, Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Kunming, China.|Yunnan Technical Center for Quality of Chinese Materia Medica, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
Yuan-Zhong
YZ
Wang
Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China.
Dan
D
Zhang
D000363:Agaricales / Q000737:chemistry*; D002681:China; D065928:Forests; D008628:Mercury / Q000378:metabolism*; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry*; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000378:metabolism*
D012987:Soil; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D008628:Mercury
Asia; China; Foraging; Heavy metals; Mushrooms; Yunnan