[Cadmium uptake by mushrooms (author's transl)]

Mushrooms of the subgenus Rubescentes (for example Agaricus bisporus and Agaricus campestris) accumulate for less cadmium than most species of the subgenus Flavescentes (for example Agaricus arvensis and Agaricus silvicola). Hence it appears there is no danger for human health, from too much cadmium, when eating the often gathered Agaricus campestris. The caps of the mushrooms enrich cadmium to twice the amount present in the stems. The authors analysed 32 samples of wild mushrooms of the subgenus Rubescentes and 39 samples of wild mushrooms of the subgenus Flavescentes. They furthermore cultivated mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus) on substrates with different amounts of added cadmium.