Preface to the Special Issue 'Heavy Metals in Mushrooms'.

This document is a preface to a special issue of the Journal of Fungi titled "Heavy Metals in Mushrooms." It highlights the problem of environmental pollution, particularly soil and water pollution, caused by population growth, industrialization, and urbanization. The presence of heavy metals in the environment is a significant concern due to their carcinogenic, mutagenic, neurotoxic, and immunogenic properties. The World Health Organization has identified lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury as particularly harmful heavy metals. The document emphasizes the need for scientific studies to monitor and address heavy metal pollution, especially in saprotrophic and ectomycorrhizal fungal species. The special issue includes articles on various topics related to heavy metals in mushrooms, such as molecular tolerance mechanisms, bioremediation, risk assessment, and health risk assessment. The document concludes by calling for a global heavy metal monitoring program and increased monitoring of metals and metalloids in human diets, particularly in edible wild mushrooms. [Extracted from the article]