title: Influence of mercury from fly ash on cattle reared nearby thermal power plant.
abstract: Cattle grazing nearby coal-fired power stations are exposed to fly ash. The present investigation aims to assess the environmental and health impacts of fly ash containing mercury emitted from thermal power plant. The health effect of fly ash were studied using 20 lactating cattle reared within a 5-km radius of s thermal power plant for the possible effect of fly ash such as the alterations in hematological and biochemical parameters of blood, milk, and urine. Results indicated that the hemoglobin levels (6.65 ± 0.40 g/dl) were significantly reduced in all the exposed animals. Biochemical parameters viz., blood urea nitrogen (27.35 ± 1.19 mg/dl), serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (43.39 ± 3.08 IU/l), albumin, and creatinine were found to be increased, whereas serum glutamate pyruvic transaminase (29.26 ± 2.02) and Ca(2+) were observed to be statistically insignificant in exposed animals. Mercury concentrations estimated in the blood, milk, and urine of exposed (n = 20) and control (n = 20) animals were 7.41 ± 0.86, 4.75 ± 0.57, 2.08 ± 0.18, and 1.05 ± 0.07, 0.54 ± 0.03, 0.20 ± 0.02 μg/kg, respectively. The significant increase (P < 0.01) in the levels of mercury in blood, milk, and urine of exposed animals in comparison to control indicated that the alterations of biochemical parameters in exposed cattle could be due to their long term exposure to fly ash mercury which may have direct or indirect impact on human populations via food chain.
authors.affiliation: Nagpur Veterinary College, Seminary Hills, Nagpur, India.
authors.forename: Vikas Eknath
authors.initials: VE
authors.lastname: Mahajan
authors.forename: Raju Ravindra
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Yadav
authors.forename: Narayan Purushottam
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Dakshinkar
authors.forename: Vinod Madanlal
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Dhoot
authors.forename: Gautam Ramkrishna
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Bhojane
authors.forename: Madhura Kiran
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Naik
authors.forename: Preeti
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Shrivastava
authors.forename: Pravin Krishnarao
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Naoghare
authors.forename: Kannan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Krishnamurthi
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D000818:Animals; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D002417:Cattle; D060729:Coal Ash / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D008628:Mercury / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity; D011210:Power Plants; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D060729:Coal Ash; D052638:Particulate Matter; D012709:Serum Albumin; D003404:Creatinine; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D008628:Mercury