Bioaccumulation potential and dietary intake risks assessment of trace metals in Pleurotus tuberregium in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic from Sokoto state, Nigeria.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the degree of contamination and intake rates, as well as the risk of Lithium (Li), Arsenic (As), Cadmium (Cd), Mercury (Hg), and Lead (Pb) contained in wild species of King Tuber Mushroom (P. tuber-regium) collected pre-, post- and during the COVID-19 lockdown which is widely consumed in northwestern Nigeria; and to also assess their potential to accumulate some heavy metals, which comprises the linked consumer health hazards by assessing the risks to children, adolescents, and adults from cancer-causing and non-cancer-causing substances based on estimated weekly intake (EWI). After mineralization with acid, the concentrations were determined using Optical Emission Spectrometry with Inductively Coupled Plasma (OES-ICP), and Mercury (Hg) using Cold Vapor Atomic Fluorescence Spectrophotometer (CV-AFS). Moreover, the health risk assessment due to the ingestion of these elements through the consumption of P. tuberregium was estimated. The findings showed that concentrations of As, Pb, Cd, Li and Hg varied greatly within three years (2019, 2020, 2022), with levels higher in pre- and post- COVID-19, and lower during the COVID-19 lockdown. In descending order, the average content of these substrates and metals, was As > Pb > Cd > Li > Hg. Children, adolescents, and adults all had EWI values below the mushroom's provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWIs). The consumption of P. tuber-regium harvested from the areas investigated, therefore, poses no toxicological or health risks to the inhabitants

本研究旨在评估在COVID-19封锁前后及封锁期间采集的西北尼日利亚广泛消费的野生牛肝菌（P. tuber-regium）中锂（Li）、砷（As）、镉（Cd）、汞（Hg）和铅（Pb）的污染程度、摄入量以及潜在积累某些重金属的能力，这些重金属可能通过评估癌症引发和非癌症引发物质的摄入风险（基于估算的每周摄入量，简称EWI）而构成与消费者健康相关的危害。经酸化矿化后，使用光学发射光谱法（OES-ICP）和冷蒸气原子荧光光谱光度计（CV-AFS）测定了浓度。此外，还估计了通过食用P. tuber-regium摄入这些元素的健康风险评估。研究结果表明，2019年、2020年和2022年三年间的As、Pb、Cd、Li和Hg浓度差异显著，COVID-19封锁前后浓度较高，封锁期间浓度较低。按浓度递减顺序，这些底物和金属的平均含量为As > Pb > Cd > Li > Hg。儿童、青少年和成年人的EWI值均低于蘑菇的暂定每周耐受摄入量（PTWIs）。因此，从调查区域采集的P. tuber-regium的食用不会对居民构成毒理学或健康风险。