title: Evaluation of mercury contamination in dogs using hair analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The present work is aimed at assessing the mercury contamination of dogs through the analysis of hair. For the determination of the total mercury in dogs, we chose skin derivatives--hair. The content of total mercury was also measured in the pelleted feed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Dogs were divided into two groups. The first group (group A) was fed granular feed containing fish and the second group (group B) granular feed free of fish. A total of 131 hair and granular feed samples were collected. The total mercury in hair and granular feed samples was measured using atomic absorption spectrophotometry on AMA 254.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The values of the total mercury content in the hair of dogs had a median value of 0.0375 mg.kg(-1) in group A and of 0.0336 mg.kg(-1) in group B. No statistically significant difference was found between the groups (p>0.05). The median values of the total mercury were 0.0048 mg.kg(-1) in group A and 0.0017 mg.kg(-1) in group B, respectively. A highly statistically significant difference between the groups was found (p<0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  No correlation was obtained between the total mercury content in the hair of dogs and granulated feed (rs=0.2069, p>0.05). The reason may be a content of various mercury species in feed samples or a human failure (nonobservance of the prescribed diet).
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Public Health and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Tomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kral
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Public Health and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Jana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Blahova
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Public Health and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Lenka
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sedlackova
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Public Health and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Vladimir
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vecerek
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Public Health and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Zdenka
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Svobodova
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed / Q000032:analysis*; D000818:Animals; D004285:Dogs; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis; D006197:Hair / Q000737:chemistry*; D008628:Mercury / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D008628:Mercury