[Mushrooms as indicators of mercury emissions (author's transl)].

For various wildlife mushrooms from different geological districts of Austria the natural contents of mercury was determined. Compared to these results, mushrooms collected within the vicinity of a chlor-alkali plant contain about 10-times more mercury; occassionally up to 100 ppm calculated on dry matter. As fall leaves and fall needles in the vicinity of a chlor-alkali plant contain high levels of mercury, it is clear, that species of mushrooms with a very extended mycel in the soil, respectively mushrooms which purely decompose vegetable mould, accumulate mercury to a high extent. As indicator organisms in the study of mercury pollution, the nearly everywhere frequently growing species: lycoperdon gemmatum; mycena pura and all collybiaceae are suitable.