ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Effect of Grazing to Copper Pollution Meadow
on Copper Metabolism in Wumeng Semi-fine
Wool Sheep
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1
School of Karst Science, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang, Guizhou, P.R. China
2
State Engineering Technology Institute for Karst Desertfication Control, Guizhou Normal University,
Guiyang, Guizhou, P.R. China
Submission date: 2018-01-14
Final revision date: 2018-03-07
Acceptance date: 2018-03-20
Online publication date: 2018-11-07
Publication date: 2019-01-28
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2019;28(3):1083-1091
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ABSTRACT
To assess the effect of copper pollution meadow on grazing Wumeng semi-fine wool sheep and
find an action plan to solve copper pollution, two experiments (grazing and sulfur supplementation)
were conducted on copper pollution meadow at Wumeng mountainous area in Weining County
of Guizhou Province. The contents of heavy metal elements were analyzed by inductively coupled
plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) in soil, pasture, and animal tissues, and the blood
parameter was determined by automatic blood cell analyzer. The results of grazing experiments showed
that the content of copper and zinc in animal tissues when Wumeng semi-fine wool sheep grazed
in the copper-polluted meadow were significantly increased (P<0.01), but the molybdenum content
in animal tissues significantly decreased (P<0.01). At the end of experiment, the Hb, PCV, and RBC
of the experimental Wumeng semi-fine wool sheep were significantly lower than control group (P<0.01),
and mean corpuscular volume (MCV) was significantly lower than the control group (P<0.05), and
the wool yield and length were significantly lower than not the control group (P<0.01). The results
of the sulfur supplementation experiment showed that the supplementation of sodium sulfate
significantly reduced the copper element content in blood and liver of Wumeng semi-fine wool sheep,
the hemoglobin (Hb), packed cell volume (PCV), and red blood cell count (RBC) in blood
of the experimental Wumeng semi-fine wool sheep were significantly higher than the control group
(P<0.01), and the blood parameter reached the normal range at the end of the experiment. The content
of copper element in blood and liver of the control group continued to increase, and the content
of molybdenum in the animal tissues continued to decrease (P<0.01). The Hb, PCV, RBC, and MCV
of the experimental Wumeng semi-fine wool sheep continued to decline, and hemolytic anemia
was seen in Wumeng semi-fine wool sheep from control group at the end of experiment. However,
sulfur supplementation had no significant effect on the relevant indicators of wool quality. Conclusion:
copper pollution meadow seriously affect the mineral metabolism of Wumeng semi-fine wool sheep,
and we can utilize the antagonism of sulfur and copper in the food chain to achieve the goal of harmless
utilization of copper pollution meadow.