Metal Content in Caps and Stalks of Edible Mushrooms: Health Benefits and Risk Evaluation.

Mushrooms are a good source of protein and phenolic compounds which provides health benefits for humans. The purpose of this study was to compare the content of eight metals, protein, and total phenolics (TPC) of 5 different species (Agaricus bisporus-white and brown mushrooms, Agaricus cupreobrunneus, Auricularia cornea, Hypsizgus tesselatus, and Pleurotus eryngii species-complex) of edible mushrooms available on the Romanian market. Agaricus bisporus and Agaricus cupreobrunneus were purchased and cultivated in Romania and the other species were cultivated in other countries (Turkey and China). The metal content determined by graphite atomic absorption spectrometry (GTAAS) varied in the order Cu > Pb > Ni > Fe > Cr > Mn > Co > Cd. Almost all the samples contained a greater quantity of metals in the stalk than in the cap. In addition, the levels of toxic metals were low. The protein content of analyzed samples ranged from 0.0926 to 0.2743%, the highest value being observed in Pleurotus eryngii species-complex mushroom. TPC of extracts increased over time but there was a variability in the concentration for each mushroom species (0.25-12.25 mg GAE/g). The investigated mushroom species possess no health risk and may be potential nutritional supplements for human diets due to their phenolic compounds, protein, and mineral content.

Correlation Between Toxic Elements and Pesticide Residues in Medicinal Herbs Available in Pharmaceutical Market.

The use of medicinal plants for self-medication of minor health conditions has become a widespread practice in contemporary society. Few consumes, however, question the contamination of these products with toxic factors resulting from the planet's increasingly polluted environment. This paper presents the levels of five toxic elements (As, Cr, Pb, Cd, and Hg) and nine organochlorine pesticides (hexachlorobenzene (HCB), lindane, heptachor, aldrin, dieldrin, endrin, p,p'DDE, p,p'DDD, and p,p'DDT) in 14 brands of regularly consumed medicinal products in Romania. The toxic elements content was determined using energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) technique, and organochlorine pesticide residues (OPCs) were quantified using gas-chromatographic method, equipped with electron capture detector (GC-ECD). The results show that in the case of Cr, Cd, and Hg, the concentrations exceeded the limit values established by World Health Organisation (WHO) for raw herbal material. The higher level of OPCs (such as p,p'DDD, p,p'DDT, aldrin, and dieldrin) was found in the samples of Hypericum perforatum-St. John's wort, Crataegus monogyna-hawthorn, and Epilobium parviflorum-hoary willowherb. The correlations between the content of toxic elements and pesticides were determined by statistical analysis. Hierarchical clustering technique was used to detect natural grouping between the toxic elements and pesticides. For herb samples, four clusters were identified, the strongest correlated cluster consisting of Pb, HCB, Cr, and Hg. A further analysis within this cluster suggested that Cr levels are statistically different from the rest of the elements.

Assessment of Heavy Metal Content in Soil and Lycopersicon esculentum (Tomato) and Their Health Implications.

In this study, the content of lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr) and manganese (Mn) was evaluated in soils and tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum) collected from rural areas of Dobrogea province, South-East of Romania. The risk to human health due to the heavy metal exposure via tomato consumption was also assessed.The results suggest that based on the contamination factor, the soils are moderately contaminated with Cd and Mn (Cf values of 1.266. and 1.40) and poorly contaminated with Pb and Cr. The bioconcentration factor (BAF) was below 1 and indicated that the studied species of Lycopersicon esculentum did not accumulate the monitored elements. Person's correlation analysis showed that there were significant relations between soil pH and BCF values of Cd, Pb, Cr and Mn in analysed tomatoes. The estimated daily intake of each metal was below the oral reference dose. The hazard quotient (HQ) and hazard index (HI) were below the acceptable level (< 1), and the cancer risk (CR) for Pb, Cd and Cr was found within acceptable levels (1.0 × 10-6-1.0 × 10-4). Based on health guidance values, it may be concluded that the analysed tomatoes do not present health risks to consumers in terms of content and accumulation of heavy metals. It is important to monitor the other toxic metals as well, in order to evaluate the heavy metal accumulation variation and the toxicity value of each metal in agricultural soils from both rural and industrial areas.

Health risk assessment of fluoride exposure due to groundwater consumption in Romania.

Fluoride has both beneficial and detrimental effects on human health. Concentrations of fluoride less than 1.0 mg/L in ingested water are beneficial for the rate of tooth decay, especially in children. The aims of the paper are as follows: (i) to monitor fluoride concentrations in drinking water samples (well water and tap water from the rural district of Valea Râmnicului, Romania); (ii) to study and select the optimal buffer solution and the optimal volume used in the analyses and (iii) to validate the potentiometric method for determining fluoride ions with a selective ion electrode. The values of fluoride ion concentrations in the groundwater samples and in tap water varied from 0.01 to 0.138 mg/L. The values for the hazard quotient for the studied samples varied from 0.01 to 0.13.