Arsenic and Other Elemental Concentrations in Mushrooms from Bangladesh: Health Risks

Md Harunur Rashid, Mohammad Mahmudur Rahman, Ray Correll and Ravi Naidu
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Md Harunur Rashid: Global Centre for Environmental Remediation (GCER), The University of Newcastle, University Drive, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia
Mohammad Mahmudur Rahman: Global Centre for Environmental Remediation (GCER), The University of Newcastle, University Drive, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia
Ray Correll: Rho Environmetrics, Highgate, SA 5063, Australia
Ravi Naidu: Global Centre for Environmental Remediation (GCER), The University of Newcastle, University Drive, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia

IJERPH, 2018, vol. 15, issue 5, 1-18

Abstract: Mushroom cultivation has been increasing rapidly in Bangladesh. Arsenic (As) toxicity is widespread in the world and Bangladesh faces the greatest havoc due to this calamity. Rice is the staple food in Bangladesh and among all the crops grown, it is considered to be the main cause of As poisoning to its population after drinking water. Consequently, rice straw, an important growing medium of mushrooms in Bangladesh, is known to have high As content. The objective of this study was, therefore, to determine the concentrations of As in mushrooms cultivated in Bangladesh and to assess the health risk as well. It also considered other elements, including Cd, Cr, Co, Cu, Pb, Mn, Hg, Ni, and Zn concentrations in mushrooms from Bangladesh. The mean concentrations (mg/kg) of As, Cd, Cr, Co, Cu, Pb, Mn, Hg, Ni, and Zn in mushrooms were 0.51, 0.38, 0.28, 0.01, 13.7, 0.31, 11.7, 0.12, 0.28, and 53.5, respectively. Based on the dietary intake of mushrooms, the weekly intakes of As, Cd, Cr, Co, Cu, Pb, Mn, Hg, Ni, and Zn from mushrooms for adults were 0.0042, 0.0030, 0.0024, 0.0001, 0.1125, 0.0019, 0.1116, 0.0011, 0.0023, and 0.4734 mg, respectively. Due to the low concentrations of As and other trace elements observed in mushrooms from Bangladesh, as well as relatively lower consumption of this food in people’s diet, it can be inferred that consumption of the species of mushrooms analysed will cause no toxicological risk.

Keywords: mushroom; arsenic; heavy metals; health risk; daily intake (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
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