Can red deer antlers be used as an indicator of environmental and edible tissues' trace element contamination?
Venison is an attractive product for consumers concerned with healthy lifestyle; however, it can contain high levels of toxic elements, and therefore, it is a possible source of hazardous contaminants in human diet. Antlers are suitable bioindicators of environmental metal contamination, and herein, we assessed the ability of trace element levels in antlers to indicate levels in edible soft tissues. We determined the concentrations of lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), arsenic (As), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and iron (Fe) in the liver, kidney, muscle, and antlers of 14 free-ranging red deer (Cervus elaphus) from northeastern Poland using atomic absorption spectrometry. We found the highest concentrations of Pb (0.321 ± 0.165 mg/kg), As (0.045 ± 0.074 mg/kg), Zn (105.31 ± 16.33 mg/kg), and Fe (220.92 ± 117.18 mg/kg) in antlers; of Cd (4.974 ± 1.90 mg/kg) and Hg (0.048 ± 0.102 mg/kg) in kidney; and of Cu (7.29 ± 7.02 mg/kg) in the liver. A positive relationship between concentrations in antlers and muscle was found only for Cu (p = 0.001), and it therefore appears that red deer antlers cannot be used as an index for element concentrations in soft tissues. While our results confirm that the Mazury region is little polluted, consumption of red deer offal from this area should be limited according to extant legal limits set for livestock consumption.
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Warmia and Mazury, Oczapowskiego 14, 10-719, Olsztyn, Poland.
Aleksandra
A
Giżejewska
The National Veterinary Research Institute, 57 Partyzantów Avenue, 24-100, Puławy, Poland.
Józef
J
Szkoda
The National Veterinary Research Institute, 57 Partyzantów Avenue, 24-100, Puławy, Poland.
Agnieszka
A
Nawrocka
The National Veterinary Research Institute, 57 Partyzantów Avenue, 24-100, Puławy, Poland.
Jan
J
Żmudzki
Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of Polish Academy of Sciences, Tuwima 10 Str, 10-748, Olsztyn, Poland. z.gizejewski@pan.olsztyn.pl.
Zygmunt
Z
Giżejewski
D000818:Animals; D000999:Antlers / Q000737:chemistry*; D003670:Deer; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D005506:Food Contamination; D006801:Humans; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis*; D011044:Poland; D000069466:Red Meat; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000032:analysis*
D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D019216:Metals, Heavy; D014131:Trace Elements
Bioindicator; Essential trace elements; Pollution; Toxic trace elements