A comparison of cadmium concentrations in tissues of different categories of cattle

Abstract

Concentrations of cadmium in selected tissues collected from various categories of Black Pied cattle were compared. All the animals, including 7 cows aged 3 to 11 years, four heifers aged 26 to 28 months, 14 bulls aged 24 to 26 months, and 7 calves aged 4 to 6 months, were kept at a single farm. Samples of hepatic, renal, myocardial, and diaphragmatic tissues were collected after slaughter. The samples were mineralized using the microwave digestion technique and cadmium was determined by the ETA-AAS method. The following mean concentrations (μg·kg-11 ± SD) were found in individual tissues of cows, bulls, heifers, and calves: renal - 647.8 ± 384.9, 317.43 ±101.24, 366.0±79.24, and 133.74±116.71, respectively; hepatic -166.36±59.13, 144.1±24.4, 159.45±72.3, and 46.2∓28.35, respectively; myocardial - 1.94±0.93, 1.88±0.8, 1.35±0.9, and 1.61±1.35, respectively; diaphragmatic - 1.43±0.74, 0.79±0.6, 1.27±0.89, and 1.08±0.98, respectively. Highly significant differences were found between calves and any other category in the concentration of cadmium in liver and between calves and bulls or heifers in the concentration of cadmium in kidneys. The latter difference between calves and cows was significant. A highly significant correlation between age and concentration of cadmium in renal tissue was confirmed in cows (r=0.943).