title: The occurrence and dynamics of polychlorinated hydrocarbons in brown hare (Lepus europaeus) in south-western Slovakia.
abstract: This study aimed at obtaining the data on the occurrence, levels and correlations of organic pollutants present in game animals (n = 75, Brown hare, Lepus europaeus Pall.) in the region of south-western Slovakia. The analyses performed included dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), hexachlorobenzen (HCB), alpha- and beta hexachlorocyclohexane (α+β-HCH), gamma-hexachlorocyclohexane (γ-HCH), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB-delor, commercial mixture of PCB congeners). A gas chromatograph with an electron capture detector was used for the analysis. PCB-delor and DDT were accumulated significantly in the highest level (0.105 ± 0.059 mg/kg; 0.070 mg/kg) in depot fat in brown hares; however maximum permissible limits for the observed pollutants were not exceeded. Significantly higher concentrations of DDT, HCB, γ-HCH, and PCB-delor were found in adult animals when compared with juvenile hares. Gender and season had no effect on the accumulation of observed pollutants. Moderately positive correlation was found between PCB-delor and DDT (r = 0.59). Monitoring of environmental pollution with polychlorinated hydrocarbons is important with regard to public health, as game animals constitute an important part of food chain also for humans.
authors.affiliation: Animal Production Research Centre Nitra, Luzianky, Slovak Republic.
authors.forename: Jaroslav
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Slamecka
authors.forename: Marcela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Capcarova
authors.forename: Rastislav
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jurcik
authors.forename: Adriana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kolesarova
authors.forename: Lubomir
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ondruska
authors.forename: Jozef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gasparik
authors.forename: Norbert
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lukac
authors.forename: Dusan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mertin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D034621:Hares / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D018154:Slovakia
chemical_list: D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls