Blanco Penedo, Isabel
- University of Santiago de Compostela
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to determine how accumulation of toxic metals by
beef-cattle in NW Spain varies between farms that have markedly different practices (including
intensive, conventional and organic management) and to determine possible key factors
affecting toxic metal assimilation by cattle. Soil, feed (forage and concentrate) and animal
tissues (liver and kidney from 120 calves) were collected from nine farms across NW Spain and
were analysed for metals by ICP-MS. Toxic metal concentrations in beef calves were generally
low but did vary significantly between farms. There were no consistent patterns of difference in
tissue metal concentrations between farms from different regions or between farms with
different management practices. Variations in arsenic, cadmium and mercury concentrations in
calf tissues were not significantly explained by soil or diet metal concentrations but were
significantly and inversely related to the proportion of concentrate in the ration. Higher levels
of metal residues in tissues were associated with consumption of low amounts of concentrate
and relatively high levels of grazing. Higher toxic metal intake due to grazing is likely to be
largely a result of soil ingestion.
Published in
Agronomy research
2009, volume: 7, number: SI II, pages: 578-584
SLU Authors
UKÄ Subject classification
Clinical Science
Permanent link to this page (URI)
https://res.slu.se/id/publ/87032