engleski

Assessment of heavy metal content in wild boar (Sus scrofa L.) hunted in Eastern Croatia

Concentrations of heavy metals: Cd, Pb, As and Hg, were measured using atomic absorption spectrophotometry in the muscle tissue, kidney and liver of free-living wild boars. Samples were taken from 126 animals, hunted in December 2008 and January 2009, in ten selected hunting grounds in three counties of eastern Croatia: Virovitica-Podravina, Osijek-Baranja and Vukovar-Srijem Counties. The level of Cd and Hg in the kidney was higher compared to the liver and muscle tissue. Mean concentrations of Cd (1.4077-2.8214 mg kg-1) and Hg (0.1441-0.2990 mg kg-1) in the kidney, as well as Pb level in the muscle tissue (0.1425-0.1799 mg kg-1) in all three counties exceeded the maximum allowable values according to food safety standards. Mean As concentration (0.0130-0.0190 mg kg-1) was below the maximum allowable values in all analysed tissues. Accumulation of As was higher in Osijek-Baranja County, which is related to increased concentration in ground water. Considering that wild boar is rather often hunted game in the hunting grounds of eastern Croatia, it is recommended to eliminate kidney and liver from human consumption.

contamination ; heavy metal ; wild boar ; tissue ; Croatia

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