Volume 12
Issue 2
Veterinary Medicine
JOURNAL OF
POLISH
AGRICULTURAL
UNIVERSITIES
Available Online: http://www.ejpau.media.pl/volume12/issue2/abs-02.html
STUDY ON A CONTENT OF MERCURY IN HAIR, MILK AND BLOOD OF COWS HOUSED IN AN URBANIZED AREA
Zbigniew Dobrzański1, Tadeusz Szulc2, Robert Kupczyński3, Marian Kuczaj4
1 Department of Environment Hygiene and Animal Welfare, The Faculty of Biology and Animal Science, Wroc³aw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Poland
2 Institute of Animal Breeding,
Wroc³aw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Poland
3 Department of Environmental Hygiene and Animal Welfare,
Wroc³aw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Poland
4 Institute of Animal Breeding, Faculty of Biology and Animal Science, Wroc³aw University of Environmental and Life Science, Poland
ABSTRACT
Research on a content of mercury
in 24 dairy cows (an average daily milk yield – 22.23 kg) of PHF breed (black-white
and red-white colour, divided into primiparous and multiparous ones) housed in
a farm system in suburban area were conducted. Concentration of a metal was
determined using TMA-254 spectrophotometer in unwashed samples of hair (overall
content) and in washed ones (assimilated content) as well, and also in full blood
and raw milk. The biggest amount of mercury was observed in hair (max 6.5 µg·kg-1 d.m.), then in blood (max 2.0 µg·l-1), ad the lowest amount was in milk (max 0.6 µg·l-1).
Difference between Hg content in raw and washed hair was 26.5%. Content of Hg
in milk did not exceed a limit established by a Decree of Ministry of Health
(10 µg·kg-1) in any sample. Statistically significantly higher content of Hg was in hair of cows of black-white colour comparing to red-white (p<0.01). Any influence
of cows' performance period (primiparous, multiparous) on Hg content in hair,
milk and blood was observed. Any significant correlations between Hg content
in hair and a concentration of that element in blood and milk were noted.
Key words: mercury, cow, hair, milk, blood.
Zbigniew Dobrzański
Department of Environment Hygiene and Animal Welfare, The Faculty of Biology and Animal Science, Wroc³aw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Poland
J. Che³mońskiego 38 C
51-630 Wroc³aw
Poland
Phone: +48 71 320 5865
email: zbigniew.dobrzanski@up.wroc.pl
Tadeusz Szulc
Institute of Animal Breeding,
Wroc³aw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Poland
Che³mońskiego 38C, 51-630 Wroc³aw, Poland
phone: 71 320 57 62
email: tadeusz.szulc@up.wroc.pl
Robert Kupczyński
Department of Environmental Hygiene and Animal Welfare,
Wroc³aw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Poland
Che³mońskiego 38 C, 51-630 Wroc³aw, Poland
Phone: (+48 71) 320 59 41
email: robert.kupczynski@up.wroc.pl
Marian Kuczaj
Institute of Animal Breeding, Faculty of Biology and Animal Science, Wroc³aw University of Environmental and Life Science, Poland
Che³mońskiego 38 C
51-630 Wroc³aw, Poland
Phone +48 71 32-05-860
fax: +48 71 32-05-764
email: marian.kuczaj@up.wroc.pl
Responses to this article, comments are invited and should be submitted within three months of the publication of the article. If accepted for publication, they will be published in the chapter headed 'Discussions' and hyperlinked to the article.