HEAVY METAL ACCUMULATION IN ANIMAL TISSUES AND INTERNAL ORGANS OF PIGS CORRELATED WITH FEED HABITS

Ch. Makridis, D. Kantas, St. Leontopoulos, L. Roka, N. Gougoulias

Abstract: The purpose of the study was to assess the risk to public health. This study investigates the presence of heavy metals (Cu, Zn, Cr, Pb, Cd and Ni) in the liver, kidney and muscle tissues of seven sows slaughter of indigenous black race from the region of Thessaly correlated with feed habits and the used feedstuff. The breeding was carried out in the experimental facilities of TEI of Thessaly where six species of different feed types were participated in equal amounts. The analysis of the samples was done by wet digestion and atomic absorption spectroscopy. The results compared with the maximum permissible (EFSA) shown that greater daily intake of Cu, Zn, Cr, Pb and Cd provided at 49%, 76%, 12%, 7% and 5% respectively of feed samples. The concentration of Ni in the feed ranged from 0.10 to 9.90 mg kg-1 (dm) dry matter. In muscle tissue, the concentration of Cu, Zn, Ni, Cr, Pb and Cd ranged from 0.30 to 1.23, 10.40 to 39.01, < 0.06, < 0.006, < 0.02 and < 0.02 mg kg-1 respectively (fm) fresh mass after fat removal. In the liver, concentration of Cu, Zn, Ni, Cr, Pb and Cd ranged from 2.71 to 5.94, 14.90 to 18.44, < 0.06 to 0.95, < 0.006 to 3.97, < 0.02 and < 0.02 mg kg-1 (fm) respectively. In kidney the concentration of Cu, Zn, Ni, Cr, Pb and Cd ranged from 2.44 to 7.02, 10.04 to 28.98, < 0.06 to 0.95, < 0.006 to 4.04, < 0.02 and < 0.02 to 0.14 mg kg-1 (fm) respectively.

Keywords: accumulation; conventional agriculture; heavy metals; pig feed

Date published: 2017-09-15