Antimony uptake and correlation with other metals in mushroom species

A hydride atomic absorption method has been applied to determine the antimony concentration in a single specimen of fourteen different mushroom species. The analytical methods used for the other metals were flame atomic absorption (for: zinc), Zeeman graphite furnace atomic absorption (for: thallium, cadmium, copper, lead, nickel, silver, cobalt, vanadium, manganese, molybdenum, strontium and cesium), hydride atomic absorption (for: bismuth, selenium, arsenic and tin), and cold vapour atomic absorption with amalgamation (for mercury). The correlation analysis of data carried out reveals a characteristic negative correlation of antimony with the metals Cd, Pd, As, Ni, Hg and Ag. According to this conclusion a suggestion is made that this is due to the competition of antimony with these metals for the same available ligands of chelating compounds in the plant.