Heavy metals have a paramount role and their presence has been assessed to be almost ubiquitary; although some of these elements are essential for biological systems, their excess is usually associated to harmful effects for health. The presence of lead and cadmium, non essential and toxic metals, and chrome, an essential metal, but with toxic effects in high concentration, were investigated in some organs and tissues of boars regularly slaughtered in the province of Siena. The level of the considered metals were measured in liver, kidneys, masseter muscle and midriff muscle of 24 animals raised in areas located nearby an industrial complex for glass manufacturing (group 1), and of 12 animals raised in the same conditions, but about 15 kilometres far from the factory (group 2). Analysis performed in animals of the group 1 highlighted, either in liver or in kidneys, mean lead values above law limits, established in the Regulation 466/2001/CE, which were not overcome in masseter and midriff muscle. On the contrary, analysis carried out in group 2, attested values beneath limits in all organs. About cadmium, none of the groups showed values above law limits. Finally, measured chrome levels were found to be beneath the ones assessed in cases of poisoning from metal and for this reason remaining within the values of the supposed normal condition. In conclusion, lead level higher than law limits, found in some organs of the animals breeded nearby the factory, suggest a possible environmental contamination by the industrial complex. However, we think that such assessment must be confirmed by further studies and extended investigations, supporting the preliminary results obtained in this work. Finally, our study shows as the boar might be considered a biological indicator, exploitable for different kind of investigations, because of the simple availability in the slaughter house of the organs in which heavy metals accumulate, such as liver, kidneys and some portions of muscles, resulting of low commercial interest and so obtainable for analysis
Indagine sul contenuto di metalli pesanti in carni di cinghiali regolarmente macellati nella provincia di Siena
BENINI, OMAR;BARTOLI, FULVIO;MALLEGNI, FRANCESCO;GIANFALDONI, DANIELA
2006-01-01
Abstract
Heavy metals have a paramount role and their presence has been assessed to be almost ubiquitary; although some of these elements are essential for biological systems, their excess is usually associated to harmful effects for health. The presence of lead and cadmium, non essential and toxic metals, and chrome, an essential metal, but with toxic effects in high concentration, were investigated in some organs and tissues of boars regularly slaughtered in the province of Siena. The level of the considered metals were measured in liver, kidneys, masseter muscle and midriff muscle of 24 animals raised in areas located nearby an industrial complex for glass manufacturing (group 1), and of 12 animals raised in the same conditions, but about 15 kilometres far from the factory (group 2). Analysis performed in animals of the group 1 highlighted, either in liver or in kidneys, mean lead values above law limits, established in the Regulation 466/2001/CE, which were not overcome in masseter and midriff muscle. On the contrary, analysis carried out in group 2, attested values beneath limits in all organs. About cadmium, none of the groups showed values above law limits. Finally, measured chrome levels were found to be beneath the ones assessed in cases of poisoning from metal and for this reason remaining within the values of the supposed normal condition. In conclusion, lead level higher than law limits, found in some organs of the animals breeded nearby the factory, suggest a possible environmental contamination by the industrial complex. However, we think that such assessment must be confirmed by further studies and extended investigations, supporting the preliminary results obtained in this work. Finally, our study shows as the boar might be considered a biological indicator, exploitable for different kind of investigations, because of the simple availability in the slaughter house of the organs in which heavy metals accumulate, such as liver, kidneys and some portions of muscles, resulting of low commercial interest and so obtainable for analysisI documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
