Total contents of arsenic and associated health risks in edible mushrooms,mushroom supplements and growth substrates from Galicia (NW Spain)

The levels of arsenic (As) in the main commercial species of mushrooms present in Galicia, in their growth substrates, and mushroom supplements have been analysed by ICP-MS, with the intention of assessing potential health risks involved with their consumption.The mean concentrations of As in wild and cultivated mushrooms was 0.27 mg/kg dw, in mushroom supplements 0.40 mg/kg dw, in soils 5.10 mg/kg dw, and in growth substrate 0.51 mg/kg dw.No significant differences were observed between species, although the species Lactarius deliciosus possessed a slightly more elevated mean concentration (at 0.49 mg/kg dw) than the other species investigated. In soils, statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) were observed according to geographic origin. Levels in mushroom supplements, although low, were higher than in wild or cultivated mushrooms.Measured arsenic levels were within the normal range in samples analysed in unpolluted areas. Because of the low As concentrations found in fungi and mushroom supplements from Galicia, and considering the relatively small inclusion of these foods in people’s diet, it can be concluded that there is no toxicological risk of arsenic associated with the consumption of the species of mushrooms analysed or at the dosages indicated for mushroom supplements.