SHORT COMMUNICATION
Heavy Metal Concentrations in Five Tissues
of Chickens from a Mining Area
Ping Zhuang, Bi Zou, Huanping Lu, Zhian Li
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Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems,
South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510560, China
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2014;23(6):2375-2379
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
This study presents the effect of metal-enriched rice on concentrations of Pb, Cd, Zn, and Cu in the tissues
of chicken. The experimental group of chicken (fed with contaminated rice) accumulated high concentrations
of Pb (1.00, 0.73, 0.52, 0.99, and 13.8 mg/kg dw in kidney, liver, muscle, blood and feather, respectively),
being 2, 1.2, 3.5, 3, and 3.5 times the corresponding tissue Pb in the control group of chicken. Liver
seemed to be the primary tissue for Cd accumulation. High concentrations of Pb and Cu were found in feathers
compared to other tissues. Lead concentrations in the muscle and liver of the experimental group and liver
Cd concentrations in both experimental and control groups exceeded the maximum permissible limits of Pb
and Cd in foods of PR China, respectively. The results indicated that there were significant effects of metalenriched
rice on Pb and Cd accumulations in chicken, and this dietary exposure pathway poses a potential
health risk to local residents.