The chemical composition of Astragalus. variations within the plants over a 6-year period

COWGILL, U. M. & LANDENBERG, B. D., 1991. The chemical composition of Astragalus : variations within the plants over a 6-year period. No systematic chemical examination has been carried out on seleniferous plants coexisting with non-seleniferous ones. This paper is confined to elemental variation within the plants (12 species of seleniferous Astragalus, 15 species of non-seleniferous Astragalus and seven species of other plants) gathered from 23 sites over a 6-year period in Colorado, Utah and New Mexico, U.S.A. Analytical procedures include X-ray fluorescence and atomic absorption spectrometry. Only 19 elements, of 49 detected, showed significant differences in their quantities in different plant parts. Mn S, Ca, Sr and Mg concentrated in leaves; Al, Si, Ti, Cu, As, F, CI and Br accumulated in stems and K, Rb, Cs, Zn, P and Se were found in quantity in the reproductive parts. A comparison of seleniferous with non-seleniferous species revealed that Mg, S, Mn (leaves), Se, P, K, Zn (flowers/seeds) Cu, F and CI (stems) were more concentrated in seleniferous species ( P < 0.0001) whereas Ca (leaves), Rb (flowers/seeds), As, Al, Si and Br (stems) were present in greater amounts in non-seleniferous ones ( P < 0.0001). An hypothesis is proposed to explain the high amounts of Mg encountered in leaves of these arid region plants; according to the hypothesis some portion of the accumulated Mg functions in arid plants as a humidity stabilizer. Another hypothesis concerns the relationship observed between Se and As. It has been shown that non-seleniferous astragali contained significantly more As than coexisting seleniferous astragali. It is proposed that As may function to time seed production in such a way that non-accumulators have passed the full bloom stage by the time coexisting accumulators were in full bloom and volatilizing quantities of seleniferous compounds.     

Assessment of heavy metals accumulation by spontaneous vegetation: Screening for new accumulator plant species grown in Kettara mine-Marrakech,Southern Morocco

The present paper aims to perform a screening of native plants growing in Kettara mine-Marrakech (Southern Morocco) for its phytoremediation. Plants and soil samples were collected and analyzed for Pb, Zn, Cu and Cd concentrations at several sites in the mine. The results showed that the soil in the vicinity of Kettara mine is deficient in major elements and contain toxic levels of metals. Spontaneously growing native plants were botanically identified and then classified into 21 species and 14 families. Significant difference was observed among the average concentrations of four heavy metals (Pb, Zn, Cu and Cd) in plants (p ≤ 0.05). Six plants of 21 species namely Hammada scoparia (Pomel) Iljin, Hirschfeldia incana (L.) Lagreze-Fossat, Lamarckia aurea (L.) Moench, Calendula algeriensis Boiss. & Reuter, Aizoon hispanicum L. and Melilotus sulcata Desf. were considered as the best-performing specimens due to their high ability to accumulate multiple metals in their shoots and roots without sustaining toxicity. This was confirmed by the transfer factors generally higher than 1. Using the most common criteria to classify the hyperaccumulator plants, these species can be classified as new accumulator plants of many heavy metals and be potentially used as remediation tools of metal-contaminated sites.     

The tellurium content of vegetation

Vegetation growing in the Ely mining district of White Pine County, NV has been analyzed for tellurium to discover whether Te accumulator plants existed similar to those that take up Se in great quantities. In addition, the variation in Te content among species growing in different geological settings was studied. Another objective of this study was to determine the range of Te concentration in vegetation in regions where the Te content of surface materials was high, as in the Ely mining district, and low as in various areas of western CO. Trees and shrubs (480 samples) as well as flowering plants (505 samples) and their associated edaphic materials were collected from six sites in the Ely region and all plant parts were analyzed for Te, Se, Fe, S, Zn, Cu, and Pb. One hundred and five plants were collected from three areas in western CO. There is a highly significant difference between Te uptake by trees and that of perennial flowering plants. Flowers contain significantly more Te on the average than other plant parts. An examination of the Te content of tree parts reveals that leaves sorb the most and branches the least. When the Te content of edaphic materials is high, there is a corresponding increase in the Te content of plants. Shallow perennial plants were not found growing in areas where soils contained more than 10 mg kg⁻¹ Te. Seleniferous species ofAstragalus contain larger quantities of Te than plants in the Ely area, whereas nonseleniferous members of this genus contain much less. The nitrotoxin producing Astragali contain concentrations of Te greater than that encountered in nonseleniferous species but less than that in seleniferous ones. No plants contained more than 1 mg kg⁻¹ Te. Iron, Te, Se, and S are coherent in all plants and in most soils and rocks examined.     

Assessment of trace metals contamination in soil,leaf litter and leaf beetles (Coleoptera,Chrysomelidae) in the vicinity of a metallurgical factory near Menzel Bourguiba (Tunisia)

Metal pollution is a major environmental danger owing to the rapid increase of urbanization and anthropogenic activities, which may damage the fauna and flora. Insects are often used as bioindicators of the accumulation of toxic elements. We measured concentrations of Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn, Al, and Pb in soil, litter and leaf beetles: Oulema gallaeciana (Heyden, 1879) and Lachnaia paradoxa (Olivier, 1808) at four sampling sites at different distances from metallurgical factory near Menzel Bourguiba (Tunisia). Metal concentrations did not extend beyond a distance of 4 km and were restricted to the immediate surroundings. Significant difference between sites was found for Cu, Fe, Al, and Mn concentrations in leaf litter and only for Pb in soil. In the case of Lachnaia paradoxa, no significant differences were found in the contaminant, except for Cu. The concentrations of Fe and Cu were high in Oulema gallaeciana. Positive correlations were detected for metals in the soil, leaf beetles and leaf litter. Our study confirms that the contaminants can transfer from plants to species.     

Spatial Distribution of Heavy Metals in Soil and Flora Associated with the Glass Industry in North Central India: Implications for Phytoremediation

The effect of the glass industry on soil metal characterization was assessed at five test sites at five successive distances in a semi-arid area. A comprehensive profile of Zn, Cd, Pb, Ni, Cu, and As levels in soils was obtained. The spatial distribution patterns of integrated contamination indices for these metals show a similar decreasing trend in distribution as we move further from the industrial cluster. There was significant correlation among individual heavy metal concentrations in the soil samples. Integrated contamination indices indicate that 64% of the sites were in the high contamination range and 28% were in the moderate contamination range. A statistically significant difference (P ≤ 0.001) was obtained for each metal on comparing mean metal content among soil samples. Phytoremedial potential of 12 native plant species was also evaluated. Individual elements displayed remarkably different patterns of accumulation in soils as well as plants. Plants established limited capabilities in mobilizing Zn, Pb, Ni, and Cu in the root zone. While Cd, Cu, As, Zn and Pb were predominantly partitioned in shoots, Ni was equally partitioned between shoots and roots. Interestingly, some plants showed a different partitioning trend at higher concentrations of different metals compared to lower concentrations. Potential species for phytoremediation include Calotropis procera (Milk weed), Chenopodium murale (Goosefoot),Poa annua (Annual bluegrass) and Datura stramonium (Thorn apple). None of the species showed phytoremedial potential for Ni and Cu.     

Bioaccumulation of Trace Elements in Trophic Levels of Wetland Plants and Waterfowl Birds

Present study investigates relationships between total and bioaccessibility of trace elements (Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, NI, Pb, V, and Zn) concentrations in sediment and their bioaccumulation in species in Shadegan wetland in southwest of Iran. Bioavailability factor (BAF) and translocation factor (TF) were calculated in plants and trophic transfer factor (TTF) was determined in bird species. For this purpose, sampling of sediments, aquatic plants including Phragmites australis, Typha australis, Scripus maritimus and two bird species encircling Porphyrio porphyrio and globally threatened Marmaronetta angustirostris were carried out during winter 2009. Result of chemical analysis show that bioaccessibility concentrations of Mn (8.31 mg/kg), V (1.33 mg/kg), and Pb (1.03 mg/kg) are higher than other metals. The uptake trend of trace elements in plant decreases as root > stem > leaf. Accumulation levels of trace elements in different tissues of P. porphyrio and M. angustirostris are almost identical and considerable. Accumulation and toxicity of Cd in birds is more than plants. In addition, BAF of V, Pb, and Cr indicates high accumulation by plants and great pollution rate in the area of study. In S. maritimus TF for Mn, Cu, Pb, and V are high whereas in T. australis, Cu and Pb posses the highest TF. Also Cr, Co, Mn, Ni, and Zn have higher TF from stem to leaf than root to stem in P. australis. Finally, TTFs were compared in various bird species.     

Effect of heavy metals combined stress on growth and metals accumulation of three Salix species with different cutting position

This study aimed to compare growth performance and heavy metal (HM) accumulation at different cutting positions of Salix species grown in multi-metal culture. Three Salix species stems cut at different positions (apical to basal) were grown hydroponically for four weeks. The plants were then treated for three weeks with 0, 5, 10, and 20 μM Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn, resulting in total metal concentrations of 0, 20, 40, and 80 μM. The growth parameters and HM content in shoots and initial cutting were measured. Results showed that, compared with S. fragilis, S. matsudana grew more poorly in uncontaminated condition but grew better and accumulated lower metal in shoots under mixed HM treatment. In addition, cuttings from apical parent stem position exhibited poorer growth performance before and after treatment, as well as greater metal content in shoots than base parts under the HM treatment. These results suggest that S. matsudana may undergo a special mechanism to hinder metals in the initial cutting, thus mitigating growth damage. The apical portion also showed poor resistance against the invasion of mixed HMs because of the immature structure. Therefore, in the selection of phytoremediation plants, metal accumulation ability is not proportional to growth performance.     

Contents of Heavy Metals in Chinese Edible Herbs: Evidence from a Case Study of Epimedii Folium

Toxic heavy metal contamination in Chinese edible herbs has raised a worldwide concern. In this study, heavy metals in Epimedii Folium, an edible medicinal plant in China, were quantitatively analyzed. Variations of heavy metals in different species, in various organs (i.e., leaves, stems, and roots), in wild-growing and cultivated plants, and in 35 market samples of Epimedii Folium, were systematically investigated. In all of Epimedium samples, Hg (mercury) was not detectable (0.00 μg/g). Four species, Epimedium pubescens, Epimedium sagittatum, Epimedium brevicornu, and Epimedium wushanense, were found to contain Cu (copper) and Pb (lead). And contents of Cu and Pb in E. brevicornu were significantly higher than those in other species (P < 0.01). In wild-growing and cultivated Epimedium plants, Cd (cadmium) and As (arsenic) were not detectable, and concentrations of Cu and Pb in wild-growing plants were significantly higher than those in cultivated plants (P < 0.01). Cd was not detectable in leaves, roots, and stems, while organ specificity was apparent in the distribution of Cu, As, and Pb. And the highest levels of Cu and Pb were observed in roots and leaves, respectively. In Chinese markets, several samples of Epimedii Folium contained excessive Cu, Cd, As, and Pb beyond the national permissible limits. In summary, there was a large variation of heavy metals among Epimedii Folium samples, and Cu and Pb were the most important heavy metals contaminating the edible medicinal plant. Application of Epimedii Folium to drug and food industries will need to focus more on toxic heavy metal contamination.     

Rhizospheric soil enzyme activities and phytominimg potential of Aeluropus lagopoides and Cyperus conglomeratus growing in contaminated soils at the banks of artificial lake of reclaimed wastewater

This work investigates the phytoremediation potential of Aeluropus lagopoides and Cyperus conglomeratus, growing indigenously in the vicinity of an artificial lake of reclaimed water in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia . The sampling sites were located at different distances from the wastewater treatment plants. Trace metal contents were higher in roots than shoots in both these plants. Soil urease activity in rhizophere increased linearly along the sampling sites, however, soil alkaline phosphatase and β-glucosidase activities were higher at site 2 but at site 3, the activities of both these soil enzymes reduced. Significant correlations were observed between soil urease activity and the bioconcentration factor (BCF) of Cd, Cu, Pb, and As in A. lagopoides and translocation factor (TF) for all metals in both these plants. Soil β-glucosidase activity was negatively correlated with the TF of Cd, Cu, Pb, and As in A. lagopoides and positively in C. conglomeratus, respectively. Higher BCF of Cd, Cu and Pb than C. conglomeratus and suitable for phytostabilization, however at site 3, C. conglomeratus showed better phytostabilization efficiency for As, as the BCF of As was higher than the A. lagopoides. On the basis of metal accumulation efficiency and rhizospheric soil urease and β-glucosidase activities, A. lagopoides species proved to be a better option for application in phytostabilization strategy than C. conglomeratus plants in the area surrounding the artificial lake of reclaimed water in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.     

三种苦苣苔对石灰土和红壤的适应性分析

为探讨苦苣苔科植物对其岩溶生境的适应性,该研究选取黄花牛耳朵(Primulina lutea)、紫花报春苣苔(Pri.purpurea)和桂林蛛毛苣苔(Paraboea guilinensis)三种苦苣苔科植物,将其栽种在石灰土及红壤两种不同类型的土壤中,观测记录其生长性状并对其叶片元素含量进行测定和比较。植株采集过程中,同时采集自然生境中三种苦苣苔科植物叶片及取样植物基部土壤,并对叶片及土壤元素的含量进行测定,作为今后苗圃试验的参照。结果表明:三种苦苣苔科植物在两种土壤上的生长状况及适应性具有差异,其在石灰土上生长良好,在红壤上生长较差;在两种不同土壤中,除N外,桂林蛛毛苣苔的叶片其他元素(P、K、Mn、Mg、Ca、Zn、Cu)差异极显著(P0.01);除P外,紫花报春苣苔的叶片其他元素(N、K、Mn、Mg、Ca、Zn、Cu)差异极显著(P0.01);除N、Cu、Ca外,黄花牛耳朵的叶片元素(P、K、Mn、Mg、Zn)差异极显著(P0.01);三种植物的叶片元素比值,除少数值没有差异外,大部分指标差异都极显著;对叶片元素与栽培土壤元素的相关性分析,发现植物叶片Mn元素与土壤中N、Ca、Mg、Zn、Mn、有机质含量等呈正相关,土壤P元素与叶片中N、P元素呈正相关,而与叶片中Zn元素呈负相关关系。在其他栽培条件一致的条件下,土壤因素及物种差别是造成黄花牛耳朵、紫花报春苣苔和桂林蛛毛苣苔适应性产生差异的主要原因。     

Phytoremediation potential of transplanted bare-root seedlings of trees for lead/zinc and copper mine tailings

Selecting plant species that can overcome unfavorable conditions and increase the recovery of degraded mined lands remains a challenge. A pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the feasibility of using transplanted tree seedlings for the phytoremediation of lead/zinc and copper mine tailings. One-year-old bare-root of woody species (Rhus chinensis Mill, Quercus acutissima Carruth, Liquidambar formosana Hance, Vitex trifolia Linn. var. simplicifolia Cham, Lespedeza cuneata and Amorpha fruticosa Linn) were transplanted into pots with mine tailings and tested as potential metal-tolerant plants. Seedling survival, plant growth, root trait, nutrient uptake, and metal accumulation and translocation were assessed. The six species grew in both tailings and showed different tolerance level. A. fruticosa was highly tolerant of Zn, Pb and Cu, and grew normally in both tailings. Metal concentrations were higher in the roots than in the shoots of the six species. All of the species had low bioconcentration and translocation factor values. However, R. chinensis and L. formosana had significantly higher translocation factor values for Pb (0.88) and Zn (1.78) than the other species. The nitrogen-fixing species, A. fruticosa, had the highest tolerance and biomass production, implying that it has great potential in the phytoremediation of tailing areas in southern China.     

Facilitation and herbivory during restoration of California coastal sage scrub

Using nurse plants to facilitate native plant recruitment in degraded habitats is a common restoration practice across various arid and semiarid environments. Living trees or shrubs are typically considered nurse plants, whereas dead shrubs left in the landscape from prolonged drought are understudied prospective facilitators for native plant recruitment. The interaction between nurse plants and biotic pressures, such as herbivory, on native recruitment is also not well understood in semiarid plant communities. We investigated the effects of facilitation and herbivory on native seedling germination, growth, and survival in the restoration of degraded coastal sage scrub (CSS) habitat. Native shrub seedlings (Artemisia californica and Salvia mellifera) were planted, and native annual species (Amsinckia intermedia, Deinandra fasciculata, Phacelia distans, and Pseudognaphalium californicum) were sown in three Shrub Type treatments (live shrub, dead shrub, and exposed areas), with a nested Cage treatment (no cage and cage) in each Shrub Type treatment. Annual species grew equally well in all Shrub Type treatments; shrub seedlings grew largest in exposed areas. While there was little evidence of facilitation for all species tested, there were strong positive effects of caging on growth and establishment of all species. Caging palatable native species or planting species with anti‐herbivory traits around target plants may be more strategic approaches compared to using nurse plants in restoring degraded CSS after extended drought.     

Applicability of Heavy-Metal Phytoextraction in United Arab Emirates: An Investigation of Candidate Species

Phytoremediation of contaminated calcareous desert land in the United Arab Emirates has been investigated. Soils from 12 northern UAE sites, suspected of metal contamination, were acid-extracted and analyzed by ICP-OES for Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn. Twenty-two plants naturally growing at contaminated sites were sampled and analyzed for their uptake of Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn and eight commercially available plants, grown under controlled conditions, were also studied for their phytoextraction capabilities. The concentration of available Cr was found to be 1300 ± 150 mg/kg in the soil of the Ajman Industrial Zone and 80 ± 10 mg/kg of Pb was found at Bithna. Among the plants investigated, Portulaca oleracea and Iresine herbstii showed potential for Cr(VI) and Pb(II) accumulation, respectively, with bioconcentration factors (BCF) greater than unity. Atriplex halimus accumulated Co(II), Cr(III), and Cu(II) each with a BCF > 1.     

Riparian plants on mine runoff in Zimapan,Hidalgo, Mexico: Useful for phytoremediation?

Dispersion and runoff of mine tailings have serious implications for human and ecosystem health in the surroundings of mines. Water, soils and plants were sampled in transects perpendicular to the Santiago stream in Zimapan, Hidalgo, which receives runoff sediments from two acidic and one alkaline mine tailing. Concentrations of potentially toxic elements (PTE) were measured in water, soils (rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere) and plants. Using diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) extractable concentrations of Cu, Zn, Ni, Cd and Pb in rhizosphere soil, the bioconcentration and translocation factors were calculated. Ruderal annuals formed the principal element of the herbaceous vegetation. Accumulation was the most frequent strategy to deal with high concentrations of Zn, Cu, Ni, Cd and Pb. The order of concentration in plant tissue was Zn>Pb>Cu>Ni>Cd. Most plants contained concentrations of PTE considered as phytotoxic and behaved as metal tolerant species. Rorippa nasturtium-aquaticum accumulated particularly high concentrations of Cu. Parietaria pensylvanica and Commelina diffusa, common tropical weeds, behaved as Zn hyperaccumulators and should be studied further.     

Phytotoxic Effects of Cd, Zn, Pb, Cu and Fe on Sinapis Alba L. Seedlings and their Accumulation in Roots and Shoots

The inhibitory effects of Cd, Cu, Zn, Pb, and Fe on root elongation, contents of photosynthetic pigments, and metal accumulation in the roots and shoots of Sinapis alba were assessed. On the basis of growth inhibition metals can be arranged in a order Cu > Cd > Fe = Zn > Pb. All the metals, except Fe, were accumulated in significantly higher amount in the roots than in the shoots. Cd, Zn, Cu and Pb reduced chlorophyll a, and especially chlorophyll b content, and Zn and Pb reduced the carotenoid content, but less than that of chlorophyll a+b. The plants contained the highest concentration of Cd, and the lowest concentration of Zn.     

Comparative study on effects of four energy plants growth on chemical fractions of heavy metals and activity of soil enzymes in copper mine tailings

Four gramineous energy plants, Miscanthus sacchariflorus, M. floridulus, Phragmites australis, and Arundo donax were grown on copper tailings in the field for four years. Their phytoremediation potential was examined in terms of their effects on the fractions of heavy metals and soil enzyme activities. Results showed that plantation of these four gramineous plants has improved the proportion of organic material (OM)-binding fraction of heavy metals in copper tailings as a whole, and reduced the proportion of exchangeable and residual fractions. In particular, M. sacchariflorus growth improved significantly the proportion of the OM-binding fractions of Cu (1.73 times), Cd (1.71 times), Zn (1.18 times), and Pb (3.14 times) (P < 0.05) and reduced markedly the residual fractions of Cu (64.45%), Cd (82.38%), Zn (61.43%), and Pb (73.41%) (P < 0.05). Except for A. donax, the growth of other three energy plants improved the activity of phosphatase, urease and dehydrogenase in copper tailings to some extent. In particular, the activity of soil phosphatase and urease in planted tailings differed significantly from that of control (P < 0.05). The effect of M. sacchariflorus growth on soil enzyme was the highest, followed by P. australis, M. floridulus, and A. donax. The content of each heavy metal fraction in soil was correlated with soil enzyme activities, especially the content of OM-binding fraction, which correlated significantly with the activities of phosphatase, urease and dehydrogenase in soil. According to the effects of four gramineous plants growth on activity of soil enzymes and fractions of heavy metals, M. sacchariflorus had the optimal effects for phytoremediation. Therefore, M. sacchariflorus was a candidate plant with great potential for the revegetation of heavy metal tailings.     

Metals in Tortula muralis from sandstone buildings in an urban agglomeration

Acrocarpous mosses present on stonewalls in urban areas may be used for monitoring purposes. Therefore for this investigation we selected Tortula muralis expecting that this species with an ability to colonise buildings in polluted agglomerations where other species have vanished may provide important information to monitor environmental quality. Concentrations of Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, V and Zn in T. muralis, in dust deposited on sandstone surfaces, and in the sandstones on which the moss grew were measured. T. muralis appeared to be a good bioindicator of airborne pollution which accumulated especially extremely high Cu, Fe and Zn concentrations reaching values much higher than harmful for plants. There was no relation between metal concentrations in underlying sandstones and T. ruralis. There was a relation between metal concentrations in dust and T. muralis. Cd, Co, Cr, Mn and V concentrations in T. muralis were higher than in dust. The Self-Organizing Feature Map identifying groups of sampling sites with similar concentrations of metals in mosses was able to classify the pollution level by distinguishing groups of highly, medium and less polluted sites. Once trained, SOFM can be applied in ecological investigations and could form a future basis for recognizing e.g. the type of pollution in urban environments by analysing the concentrations of elements in T. muralis.     

The effect of soil type and degree of metal contamination upon uptake of Cd,Pb and Cu in bush beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)

Summary Five soils of increasing specific surface area (SSA) were loaded to five levels of contamination with Cd, Pb and Cu, and bean plants (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) were grown on the soils for 30 days. A linear correlation was found between the concentration of Cd in the soil solutions and the amount absorbed by the plant per gram root material for four out of the five soils, and, in the case of Cu, for all five soils. Quantitatively, there was insufficient Cd or Cu in the soil solution to account for plant uptake of these metals. The amount of Cd absorbed by plants could also be related to the adsorption density (concentration/SSA soil) of the metal in four of the five soils, whereas the Cu content of plants could be related to the adsorption density of all five soils. It is thought that the metals were removed from the soil solution by root absorption and replenished by metal cations adsorbed onto surface sites in the soil. Consideration of the adsorption density of these metals in the soil may be a useful means to determine the permissible limits for heavy metal application for a wide range of soils. Lead uptake was significantly correlated to total Pb in soils, but not to the adsorption density or soil solution concentrations. The possible interpretation of the results are discussed.     

The Heavy Metal Content of Wild Edible Mushroom Samples Collected in Canakkale Province,Turkey

In this study, concentrations of heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, and Zn) were determined in three edible mushroom species (Lactarius deliciosus, Russula delica, and Rhizopogon roseolus) collected in five sampling sites in Canakkale province, Turkey. Mean values of Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, and Zn were 0.72, 0.26, 28.34, 1.53, and 64.62 mg/kg, respectively. The highest concentrations of Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn were determined in species R. delica, while Cr was observed in L. deliciosus. In terms of the nutritional aspect, taking into account the concentration of Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intake recommended by FAO/WHO, the maximum concentration of Cd is a restrictive factor for consumption of the collected mushroom species. The concentrations of the other elements have no health risks when consumed at optimal levels.