No abstract

It is reported of the uptake of lead, cadmium and mercury by cultivated mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus) from lead, cadmium and mercury-containing substrates. Cd and Hg were observed to accumulate significantly via the mycelium, whereas Pb accumulated scarely, even if the Pb contents in the substrate were high. High lead concentrations in wild mushrooms, therefore, are likely to be mainly due to emissions; whereas, with Cd and Hg, uptake from the soil must also be considered.

With respect to occupational exposure situations, more information is needed to assess the importance of the skin absorption route for elemental mercury. The purpose of the experiments reported here is to prove the suitability of the rat tail as a model of Hg skin uptake. A vapor generation system used with a tail-only exposure system is described and first results are reported. An Hg uptake via the rat tail skin could be confirmed. The Hg uptake rate cannot be estimated quantitatively by these experiments.