Health and productivity of dairy cows fed polychlorinated biphenyls

Journal Article · Wed Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1987 · Fundam. Appl. Toxicol.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0272-0590(87)90154-0· OSTI ID:6066639

Willett, L B; Liu, T T; Durst, H I; Smith, K L; Redman, D R

Holstein cows were studied through a complete lactation, a nonlactating period, and 42 days of a subsequent lactation for overt and subtle responses to a commercial mixture of polychlorinated biphenyls. Dosed cows (n = 4) received consecutive 60-day periods of daily dosing with 10, 100, and 1000 mg of Aroclor 1254. Control cows (n = 6) received daily sham doses. The following were recorded: daily milk production, feed intake, and health observations; weekly body weight, temperature, heart and respiratory rates and rectal palpation; semi-monthly clinical chemistry determinations; and monthly milk fat, microbiological culture of quarter foremilk samples, and composite milk somatic cell counts. Mean daily milk production (22.4 +/- 1.1 vs 24.8 +/- 1.0 kg) and net energy of a complete lactation (1.46 +/- 0.05 vs 1.45 +/- 0.03 Mcal/kg dry matter intake) were not different (p = 0.85) for control and PCB-dosed cows. Milk production during the first 42 days of the subsequent lactation was also similar for control and dosed cows. Occurrences of injuries, dysfunctions, and general infections were not related to polychlorinated biphenyl exposure. Intramammary infections were detected for both lactations with 51 and 32 infections detected in microbiological cultures, respectively, for the control and dosed groups. Environmental pathogens were most frequently isolated from cases of clinically apparent mastitis. The majority of quarter infections detected were due to Corynebacterium bovis. Only one animal (dosed, necropsy revealed left oviduct obstructed) failed to conceive with three to six services required before conception for the other control and dosed cows. Exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls resulting in maximal residues in milk fat, near 100 micrograms/g, had no apparent effect on health and productivity.

• Research Organization: Ohio State Univ., Wooster
• OSTI ID: 6066639
• Journal Information: Fundam. Appl. Toxicol.; (United States), Journal Name: Fundam. Appl. Toxicol.; (United States) Vol. 9:1; ISSN FAATD
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560300* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ANIMALS
AROMATICS
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
BODY FLUIDS
BODY TEMPERATURE
CATTLE
CHLORINATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
DOMESTIC ANIMALS
ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE
FOOD
HALOGENATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
LACTATION
MAMMALS
MATERIALS
MILK
ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
PREGNANCY
REPRODUCTION
RESPIRATION
RUMINANTS
TOXICITY
VERTEBRATES