Biological monitoring of an agricultural food chain: Soil cadmium and lead ruminant tissues. [Sorghum sudanense (Piper) Stapf-S. bicolor (L. ) Moench (Capra hircus)]

Journal Article · · Journal of Environmental Quality; (USA)

OSTI ID:6997967

Brams, E; Anthony, W; Weatherspoon, L ^[1]

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1. Prairie View A M Univ., TX (USA)

Low-level contamination of a sandy soil with toxicants Cd and Pb at 0.01 to 9.0 and 3.0 to 54.0 mg kg{sup {minus}1} soil induced a significant toxicant accumulation in sudan-sorghum hay (Sorghum sudanense (Piper) Stapf-S. bicolor (L.) Moench) (0.5-5.0 and 0.2-1.5 mg kg{sup {minus}1} dry biomass), respectively. Ingestion of 22 to 222 mg Cd kg{sup {minus}1} body wt. by pregnant dairy goats (Capra hircus) from the consumption of hay over 98 d resulted in a significant, but relatively diminutive accumulation of Cd in the doe livers (0.01-0.02 mg kg{sup {minus}1}) and brain cortex (0.002-0.007 mg kg{sup {minus}1}) fresh wt., but not in doe kidneys and blood averaging 0.028 and 0.002 mg Cd kg{sup {minus}1} fresh tissues, respectively. Fetal blood and liver accumulated 2.0 and 4.0 mg Cd kg{sup {minus}1} fresh tissue, respectively, and fetal kidney exhibited a weak response (0.03-0.47 mg Cd kg{sup {minus}1} fresh tissue) to Cd ingested by the pregnant does. Consumption of 240 to 1230 {mu}g Pb kg{sup {minus}1} body wt. induced 1.0 to 43.0 mg Pb kg{sup {minus}1} fresh tissue in the doe brain cerebellum, but not in the doe liver and blood averaging 0.09 and 0.017 mg Pb kg{sup {minus}1} fresh tissue, respectively, Fetal liver and blood averaged 0.043 and 0.014 mg Pb kg{sup {minus}1} tissue. Only minuscule amounts of soil Cd and Pb were retained in the select animal tissues via the ingestion of this hay. Only one-ten-millionth of labile soil Cd and Pb, respectively, accumulated in the select tissues of the pregnant does via the hay pathway. All these amounts were comparable to the norm. If these select animal tissues were used as food, no deleterious effects to human health should be induced.

• OSTI ID: 6997967
• Journal Information: Journal of Environmental Quality; (USA), Journal Name: Journal of Environmental Quality; (USA) Vol. 18:3; ISSN JEVQA; ISSN 0047-2425
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540220 -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
560300* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ANIMAL FEEDS
ANIMAL TISSUES
ANIMALS
BIOLOGICAL ACCUMULATION
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
BLOOD
BODY
BODY FLUIDS
BRAIN
CADMIUM
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
CONTAMINATION
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
DISTRIBUTION
DOMESTIC ANIMALS
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ELEMENTS
FOOD
FORAGE
GLANDS
GOATS
INGESTION
INTAKE
KIDNEYS
LEAD
LIVER
MAMMALS
MATERIALS
METALS
NERVOUS SYSTEM
ORGANS
RETENTION
RUMINANTS
TISSUE DISTRIBUTION
TISSUES
VERTEBRATES