Arsenic, cadmium, lead, copper and zinc in cattle from Galicia, NW Spain

Knowledge of trace and toxic metal concentrations in livestock is important for assessing the effects of pollutants on domestic animals and contaminant intakes by humans. Metal levels in cattle have been measured in various countries but not in Spain. In this study, the wet wt.. concentrations of three toxic elements arsenic, cadmium, lead. and two trace elements copper, zinc. were quantified in the liver Li., kidney Ki., muscle M. and blood Bl. of calves males and females between 6 and 10 months old. and cows 2]16 years old. from Galicia, NW Spain. For the toxic elements, geometric mean concentrations of arsenic in calves sexes combined. and cows were 10.8 and 10.2 mgrkg Li., 11.3 and 15.2 mgrkg Ki., 3.75 and 4.25 mgrkg M., 3.23 and 2.92 mgrl Bl.. The corresponding cadmium concentrations were 7.78 and 83.3 mgrkg Li., 54.3 and 388 mgrkg Ki., 0.839 and 0.944 mgrkg M., 0.373 and 0.449 mgrl Bl.. Geometric mean concentrations of lead in calves and cows were similarly low and were 33.0 and 47.5 mgrkg Li., 38.9 and 58.3 mgrkg Ki., 6.37 and 12.5 mgrkg M., 5.47 and 12.2 mgrl Bl.. Sex had almost no effect on the amount of toxic metal accumulated except that kidney cadmium concentrations were significantly higher in females than males. Age did influence accumulation; cadmium and lead but not arsenic. concentrations in most tissues were significantly greater in cows than female calves. For the trace elements, geometric mean copper levels in calf and cow tissues were 49.9 and 36.6 mgrkg Li., 4.27 and 3.63 mgrkg Ki., 0.649 and 1.68 mgrkg M. and 0.878 and 0.890 mgrl Bl.. The corresponding zinc concentrations were 46.3 and 52.5 mgrkg Li., 14.2 and 20.7 mgrkg Ki., 47.3 and 52.5 mgrkg M. and 2.80 and 2.22 mgrl Bl.. Female calves had significantly higher levels than males of muscle zinc and blood copper and zinc. Female calves accumulated more copper but less zinc in the liver and kidneys compared with cows; this may have been associated with the chronic, low-level cadmium accumulation observed in cows. Overall, the levels of arsenic, cadmium, lead and zinc in cattle in Galicia do not constitute a risk for animal health. However, up to 20% of cattle in some regions in Galicia had levels of copper in the liver that exceeded 150 mgrkg wet wt. These animals may be at risk from copper poisoning.