Abstract
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.
Highlights
Despite modern technologies of exhaust gas purification, sewage treatment, and improvement of mining and metal processing methods, contaminants deposited in the environment in recent years remain of major concerns (EFSA 2009, 2010; Küttner et al 2014)
To address this research gap, (i) we determined the concentrations of Pb, Cd, Hg, As, Zn, Cu, and Fe in the liver, kidney, muscle tissue, and antlers of red deer hunted in an area regarded as little contaminated; (ii) we assessed the ability of trace element levels in antlers to indicate levels in edible soft tissues; and (iii) we evaluated the degree of contamination of red deer edible tissues, according to the European Committee (EC) limits set for livestock, with regard to the lack of an official threshold for wildlife
Comparing concentrations of the four toxic trace elements to the maximum levels set by the European Commission for livestock, we found levels exceeding the norm in 2 muscle samples for Pb, 14 (100%) kidney samples for Cd, and 3 liver and 3 kidney samples for Hg (Table 2)
Summary
Despite modern technologies of exhaust gas purification, sewage treatment, and improvement of mining and metal processing methods, contaminants deposited in the environment in recent years remain of major concerns (EFSA 2009, 2010; Küttner et al 2014). Toxic trace elements are present in the vicinity of industrial areas and in natural and agricultural ecosystems away from emission sources (Giżejewska et al 2015). Toxic trace elements such as lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), and arsenic (As) pose a health threat to organisms even in small doses. Essential trace elements such as copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), or iron (Fe) are necessary for growth and development of organisms, they may pose a threat in high doses (Wasi et al 2013). Venison is an attractive product for consumers due to its nutritional properties, i.e., high protein and essential element content, optimal fatty acids, and low fat contents (Skibniewski et al 2015). In hunters’ families, venison consumption can be much higher
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