title: Indicators of lead, zinc and cadmium exposure in cattle. I. Results in a polluted area.
abstract: Dairy cattle on a farm located in the vicinity of a lead and zinc-ore processing factory were studied over 21 mo and compared with cattle on a control farm. Mean daily intakes of lead from the diet were 4.3 mg/kg body weight, with great variations; mean daily zinc intakes were 5.6 mg/kg body weight; and mean daily cadmium intakes were 0.064 mg/kg body weight. The 3 major indicators of contamination were blood lead concentrations, with mean values of 50 micrograms/100 ml of blood, zinc protoporphyrin with mean values of 165 micrograms/100 ml blood, and lead concentrations in hair which averaged 10 micrograms/g. Blood zinc concentrations and zinc concentrations were not significantly increased. One cow developed fatal post-partum paralysis. Liver, kidney and bone lead concentrations and kidney cadmium concentrations were good "post-mortem" indicators of exposure.
authors.affiliation: National Veterinary School Alfort, Maisons-Alfort, France.
authors.forename: G E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Milhaud
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mehennaoui
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002104:Cadmium / Q000097:blood; D002105:Cadmium Poisoning / Q000378:metabolism / Q000662:veterinary*; D002118:Calcium / Q000097:blood; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000378:metabolism*; D003300:Copper / Q000097:blood; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*; D005260:Female; D006197:Hair / Q000032:analysis; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D007854:Lead / Q000097:blood; D007855:Lead Poisoning / Q000378:metabolism / Q000662:veterinary*; D008274:Magnesium / Q000097:blood; D011524:Protoporphyrins / Q000097:blood; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D015032:Zinc / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D006454:Hemoglobins; D011524:Protoporphyrins; D002104:Cadmium; C017803:zinc protoporphyrin; D007854:Lead; D003300:Copper; D008274:Magnesium; D015032:Zinc; D002118:Calcium