Mercury in three species of Suillus mushroom from some sites in Poland

Total mercury content have been determined in fruiting bodies of Variegated Bolete (Suillus variegates), European Cow Bolete (S. bovinus) and Slippery Jack (S. luteus) and in underlying to mushroom's surface layer of soil substrate collected from several spatially distant one from another sites in Poland. All three Suillus mushroom species independent of the site characterized were by small mercury content. The arithmetic mean values of mercury concentration in caps and stipes, respectively, were: 0.17 +/- 0.07-0.22 +/- 0.12 and 0.047 +/- 0.015-0.071 +/- 0.035 microg/g dry weight for Variegated Bolete; 0.28 +/- 0.11-0.79 +/- 0.40 and 0.17 +/- 0.07- 0.51 +/- 0.22 microg/g dw for European Cow Bolete, and 0.095 +/- 0.082-0.17 +/- 0.05 and 0.045 +/- 0.026- 0.070 +/- 0.026 microg/g dw for Slippery Jack. All three species of Suillus mushrooms bio-concentrated mercury (BCF > 1). European Cow Bolete bioconcentrated mercury relatively more efficiently when compared to two other species, and means of BCF value of this element in its caps ranged from 18 +/- 10 to 45 +/- 20, and in stipes from 9.4 +/- 7.5 to 29 +/- 11. A level of surface soil pollution with mercury was low and averaged from 0.017 +/- 0.003 do 0.029 +/- 0.020 microg/g dw.