Content of heavy metals in the muscle tissue of cattle

Novosibirsk State Agrarian University,160 Dobrolubov Str., Novosibirsk 630039, Russia

^a tapetva@gmail.com

Abstract

Muscle tissue to examine was taken from 31 Black-and-White bull-calves of West Siberia, aged 18 months. The concentration of 11 trace elements in the samples of the muscle tissue was determined with the method of atomic emission spectrometry with inductively associated plasma. The concentration of heavy metals (mg/kg) in the muscle tissue was equal to: Pb – 0.070; Cd – 0.015; As – 0.305; Sr – 0.255; Rb – 1.458; Cu – 1.571; Fe – 50.884; Zn – 52.99; Hg – 0.007; Ni – 0.069. Different correlations were revealed between the concentration of Cd in muscles and the level of Cu and Cr in hair (r = −0.349 and r = 0.374, respectively); Cu in muscles and Cd in hair (r = −0.377), Zn in muscles and Zn, Cd in hair (r = −0.558 and r = −0.470, respectively); Pb in muscles and Si in hair (r = −0.415); Hg in muscles and Cu, Cd in hair (r = 0.449 and r = 0.386). Correlations were revealed between the level of Cd in muscles and the concentration of Ba, Zn and P in blood serum (r = 0.574, r = −0.469 and r = −0.493 respectively); between Pb in muscles and Fe in serum blood (r = 0.535).