engleski

Cadmium, lead and mercury concentrations in selected red deer (Cervus elaphus L.) tissues from the north-eastern Croatia

Concentrations of cadmium, lead and mercury in muscle, liver and kidney tissue from three different age groups of red deer (young animals aged 6 or 7 months, middle-aged animals aged 3 to 5 years, old animals aged over 8 years) from Baranja region were determined. Median cadmium concentrations were low in muscle of all investigated aged groups (0.0002 ; 0.0009 and 0.0020 µg/g), higher in liver (0.0279 ; 0.0656 and 0.1463 µg/g) and the highest in kidney (0.4792 ; 2.8531 and 6.1657 µg/g). Positive correlation between cadmium concentration and age was established. In all analyzed tissues median lead concentration was higher in young animals (muscle 0.0024 ; liver 0.0364 and kidney 0.0618 µg/g), comparing to middle-aged (muscle 0.0001 ; liver 0.0184 and kidney 0.0160 µg/g). In contrast to cadmium, mercury has negative correlation to age but median concentrations were very low (in muscle: 0.0011 ; 0.0001 and 0.0006 µg/g ; in liver: 0.0051 ; 0.0037 and 0.0022 µg/g and in kidney: 0.0145 ; 0.0183 and 0.0106 µg/g) especially comparing to cadmium. From the hygienic point of view all examined tissues are edible since concentrations of the analyzed metals do not exceed values proposed by the official regulations, with exception of few kidney samples, which contained cadmium above the recommended value. Furthermore, mercury concentration are no longer (since 2008) a matter of legislative.

Red deer; cadmium; lead; mercury; tissue contamination; legislation

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