Abstract
to the heavy metal load of natural terrestrial ecosystems. Heavy metal contamination of natural surface soils from atmospheric deposition may be pronounced even at very long distance from the major source region (Allen and Steinnes 1980; Steinnes 1984). Plants growing in areas affected by heavy metal deposition may get elevated levels of these metals by uptake from the contaminated soil or from direct deposition on the leaves (Tjell et al. 1979). Herbivorous animals feeding on the plant material may in turn receive an increased body burden of the metals concerned. In Norway the atmospheric deposition of lead, cadmium, and some other relatively volatile trace elements is about tenfold higher in the southernmost part of the country than in the more northerly regions, mainly due to long-distance atmospheric transport from other parts of Europe (Hanssen et al. 1980). A very similar trend is shown to be evident for the geographical distribution of the same elements in natural surface soils (Allen and Steinnes 1980) and vegetation from coniferous forest ecosystems (Solberg and Steinnes 1983). The present study was carried out in order to see if similar regional differences were detectable in the heavy metal load of domestic animals grazing on natural pasture land in different parts of Norway.
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