Abstract
The assessment of mercury content in the muscle, liver and kidneys of fattening pigs and sows was conducted in the Czech Republic during the period of 2015–2019. The samples were collected from sows (n = 31) and fattening pigs (n = 210). The average mercury content in muscle, liver, and kidneys of sows over 5 years was 0.00057 ± 0.00004, 0.0045 ± 0.0008, and 0.0224 ± 0.0067 mg·kg-1, respectively. The average mercury content in muscle, liver, and kidneys of fattening pigs over the same period was 0.00059 ± 0.00004, 0.0012 ± 0.0001, and 0.0044 ± 0.0004 mg·kg-1, respectively. The maximum residual limit (MRL) for human consumption was exceeded in 14 kidney samples. The mercury content in liver did not differ significantly between sows and fattening pigs; in kidneys, the mercury content was higher in sows, with a significant difference in one year (P < 0.05). A slight decrease in the mercury content in kidneys and liver was observed in fattening pigs from the year 2015. In sows, there was a significant increase in the mercury content in kidneys in the year 2016. It can be concluded that there is a need for further monitoring of the mercury content in pig tissues in the Czech Republic.
Highlights
G Mercury is one of the most toxic metal elements that contaminate the environment both due to natural processes and due to anthropogenic activity (Martinez-Finley and Aschner 2014)
The mercury content found in liver varied between < 0.001 and 0.0170 mg·kg-1 of wet weight and did not exceed the maximum residual limit (MRL) for human consumption in any sample (MRL for mercury in liver: 0.020 mg·kg-1)
Sow; □ fattening pig Discussion The environment is contaminated with mercury from both natural and anthropogenic sources (Saturday 2018)
Summary
G Mercury is one of the most toxic metal elements that contaminate the environment both due to natural processes and due to anthropogenic activity (Martinez-Finley and Aschner 2014). Both humans and animals can be exposed to various forms of mercury during their lifetimes. Mercury occurs in several different forms: as metallic (elemental) mercury, inorganic, and organic (methylmercury). Methylmercury is much more toxic than the inorganic form; it damages the central nervous system and is neurotoxic. The consequences of the neurotoxic effects of mercury are neuropsychiatric disorders in children, for example, mental retardation and developmental defects, visual and hearing. A case of mercury poisoning in humans after having eaten pork meat from a pig that was fed with methyl mercury-dressed seed grain was described in New Mexico (Curley et al 1971)
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