INTRODUCTION Within the Fungi reign there are numerous edible species consumed since ancient times by humans not only as a part of the normal diet but also as a delicacy owing to their pleasant taste and aroma. This underlines the nutritional and toxicological relevance for human health of edible fungi which are also known to accumulate microelements in their fruiting bodies. This study aimed therefore at measuring the artificial radionuclide 137Cs amount in samples of the delicious Boletus edulis species collected in the Lucca province (Tuscany, Italy). METHODS The fruiting bodies of B. edulis, were picked-up in 4 different collection areas of the Lucca province grouped in 2 Macro-areas. For comparison, dried B. edulis coming from other Italian regions or European countries were purchased from commercial sources. All samples were then analysed for their 137Cs content by -spectrometry. Briefly, fresh samples were weighed, carefully cleaned-up, disaggregated and dried at 110°C. After this procedure, resulting samples were weighed again and pulverized in a furnace at 600°C for 5 h. The 137Cs activity amount in ashes was measured by an automatic -counter (WIZARD2, PerkinElmer). Concentrations were reported as Bq/kg dry-weight (dw). RESULTS The average 137Cs levels were always remarkably below the admitted threshold for edible mushrooms, 600 Bq/Kg. The 137Cs concentration was 41.8 ± 5.2 Bq/kg dw in Macro-area 1 samples (Tosco-Emiliani Appennines), a higher value than in Macro-area 2 mushrooms (Apuan Alps), 12.8 ± 1.3 Bq/kg dw. Moreover, the lowest mean 137Cs content was measured in fruiting bodies collected in the Lucca province in comparison with those coming from other Italian or European regions. CONCLUSIONS Based on present results, consumption of B. edulis from the Lucca province does not represent a major risk for the healthy population as concerns 137Cs contamination. We thank the Tuscany Region and the local territorial administration.

Cesium-137 determination in edible boletus edulis from the mountains of the province of Lucca in Tuscany, Italy

BETTI, LAURA;PALEGO, LIONELLA;LUCACCHINI, ANTONIO;GIANNACCINI, GINO
2015-01-01

Abstract

INTRODUCTION Within the Fungi reign there are numerous edible species consumed since ancient times by humans not only as a part of the normal diet but also as a delicacy owing to their pleasant taste and aroma. This underlines the nutritional and toxicological relevance for human health of edible fungi which are also known to accumulate microelements in their fruiting bodies. This study aimed therefore at measuring the artificial radionuclide 137Cs amount in samples of the delicious Boletus edulis species collected in the Lucca province (Tuscany, Italy). METHODS The fruiting bodies of B. edulis, were picked-up in 4 different collection areas of the Lucca province grouped in 2 Macro-areas. For comparison, dried B. edulis coming from other Italian regions or European countries were purchased from commercial sources. All samples were then analysed for their 137Cs content by -spectrometry. Briefly, fresh samples were weighed, carefully cleaned-up, disaggregated and dried at 110°C. After this procedure, resulting samples were weighed again and pulverized in a furnace at 600°C for 5 h. The 137Cs activity amount in ashes was measured by an automatic -counter (WIZARD2, PerkinElmer). Concentrations were reported as Bq/kg dry-weight (dw). RESULTS The average 137Cs levels were always remarkably below the admitted threshold for edible mushrooms, 600 Bq/Kg. The 137Cs concentration was 41.8 ± 5.2 Bq/kg dw in Macro-area 1 samples (Tosco-Emiliani Appennines), a higher value than in Macro-area 2 mushrooms (Apuan Alps), 12.8 ± 1.3 Bq/kg dw. Moreover, the lowest mean 137Cs content was measured in fruiting bodies collected in the Lucca province in comparison with those coming from other Italian or European regions. CONCLUSIONS Based on present results, consumption of B. edulis from the Lucca province does not represent a major risk for the healthy population as concerns 137Cs contamination. We thank the Tuscany Region and the local territorial administration.
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11568/756029
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