Mineral constituents of a prized edible mushroom (Tricholoma matsutake) and soils beneath the fruiting bodies from the production areas across China

Fruiting bodies (500 g per site) of Tricholoma matsutake and the surface layer of soils collected from 20 spatially distant areas with pristine backgrounds across China were analyzed for potassium, magnesium, calcium, zinc, iron, copper, manganese and cadmium using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy. In terms of the bioconcentration and bioexclusion concept, K, Mg, Zn, and Cu were highly bioconcentrated, and their bioconcentration factor values varied between 75-615, 2-107, 38-603 and 7-76, respectively, across the 20 sites. Fe, Mn and Cd were moderately bioconcentrated and their bioconcentration factors (BCFs) varied between 0.6-34.0, 0.4-37.0 and 0.9-7.0 respectively. However, Ca was excluded (BCF<1). T. matsutake is a species that is harvested in the wild as a valuable food and can contain a wide spectrum of both essential and hazardous mineral compounds that accumulate at elevated concentrations even if grown in pristine areas. The estimated intake rate of Cd in the fruiting bodies indicates cause for concern associated with this metal resulting from the daily consumption of between 200 and 400 g of fruiting bodies on a frequent basis during the mushrooming season.