Industrial pollution with copper and other heavy metals in a beef cattle ranch
Experimental evidence of air borne heavy metal pollution as the cause of a disease of unknown etiology in beef cattle was obtained. Analysis of metals in natural grasses and leaves of tree defined Cu, Zn and Pb as the major pollutants, with Cd being a minor one. Emissions from a Cu smelter were traced as the main source of metallic pollution. No evidence of metal accumulation in the soil was found, mainly because of the short duration and intermittent pattern of pollution. A progressive intake of the several heavy metals contained in dusts deposited on the grasses was considered the cause of the sickness; this was associated with the grazing of cattle on contaminated grasses. The most severe cases were found in the most polluted pastures. With the exception of Cd, the concentrations of the metals in the livers and kidneys of affected cattle were high. No overlapping of the respective ranges between test and control samples from both organs was found. Mean hepatic levels of Cu (925.7 mg/kg DM), Zn (491.2 mg/kg) and Pb (26.7 mg/kg) reflected the decreasing order of the concentrations of these elements in the polluted grasses. The main clinical and pathological features of this disease were discussed in light of the organic levels of the investigated metals. Disease could not be ascribed to a pure chronic toxicosis with any one of these.
- Research Organization:
- Universidad de Chile, Santiago
- OSTI ID:
- 6403644
- Journal Information:
- Vet. Hum. Toxicol.; (United States), Vol. 2
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
CADMIUM
TISSUE DISTRIBUTION
TOXICITY
CATTLE
UROGENITAL SYSTEM DISEASES
COPPER
FOOD CHAINS
CONTAMINATION
LEAD
ETIOLOGY
ZINC
AIR POLLUTION
GRASS
KIDNEYS
LEAVES
LIVER
METALS
TREES
ANIMALS
BODY
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
DISEASES
DISTRIBUTION
DOMESTIC ANIMALS
ELEMENTS
GLANDS
MAMMALS
ORGANS
PLANTS
POLLUTION
RUMINANTS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
VERTEBRATES
560300* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
550900 - Pathology