Abstract
Toads ( Xenopus laevis) were fed, at a fixed rate, live earthworms containing 10, 308 and 816 ppm lead. All six toads in each group were killed after four or eight weeks and the tissues analysed for lead. The highest concentration of dietary lead had no significant effect on growth rate, haemoglobin, haematocrit or reticulocyte values but it did significantly affect the levels of delta-aminolaevulic acid dehydrase. There was significantly less lead in bone, skin, kidney and liver in toads on a low lead intake diet compared with toads on the higher lead intake diets but the difference in muscle lead was not significant. Individual organ analysis, within groups, showed high levels of lead in kidney, bone and liver but low lead values in skin and muscle. The ratio of bone lead concentration to kidney, liver and muscle lead, compared with Peromyscus, showed more lead to be deposited in the soft tissues of Xenopus. It is tentatively suggested that Xenopus might therefore be a greater lead pollution hazard in the food chain.
Published Version
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