Abstract
In order to ensure the safety of consumers in Serbia the prevalence of toxic elements (As, Cd, Hg, Pb) in swine kidney collected from three different areas in Serbia (n = 90) was determined by atomic absorption spectrometry. Also, in order to find information on the effects of accumulation of toxic elements on swine kidney, pathohistological examination of the kidneys was performed. The presence of mercury was found in 33.3% of kidney samples in the range of 0.005–0.055 mg/kg, while the presence of cadmium was detected less often (27.7%) but in larger amounts (0.05–1.23 mg/kg). The presence of arsenic was found only in one sample, while no lead was found. The results of the metal-to-metal correlation analysis supported there were the result of different sources of contamination. Pathohistological examination of kidneys confirms tubulopathies with oedema and cell vacuolization. In addition, haemorrhages and necrosis of proximal kidney tubule cells were found. This study demonstrates that toxic elements in Serbian slaughtered pigs are found at levels comparable to those reported in other countries, and consequently the levels reported in this study do not represent a concern from a consumer safety point of view. The lack of a strong correlation between histopathological changes and the incidence of toxic elements found in this study might be explained as the result of synergism among toxic elements and other nephrotoxic compounds which enhance the toxicity of the individual toxins even at the relatively low mean concentrations observed in this study.
Highlights
Environmental pollution with toxic elements is a dangerous problem that is recognized worldwide.Toxic elements can be found in water, soil, air, plant and animal tissues as a result of both natural causes, industrial and agricultural practices [1]
It could be concluded that the presence of toxic elements in swine kidneys and the human exposure to relevant Provisional Maximum Tolerable Daily Intakes (PMTDIs), Provisional
Tolerate Weekly Intakes (PTWIs) and Tolerable Daily Intake (TDIs) of the four toxic elements under study are below that those reported by the FAO/WHO, who have set a limit for toxic element intake based on body weight for an average adult (60 kg body weight) [24,25,81]
Summary
Environmental pollution with toxic elements is a dangerous problem that is recognized worldwide. One of the most important aspects of environmental pollution for humans is the intake of toxic elements in the diet [3]. Metals tend to bioaccumulate in the environment and biomagnify in food chains [6], their levels might reach toxic limits even when found in low concentrations in environmental samples. Since this should be limited to an unavoidable minimum, much attention is paid to the occurrence of these elements in food. Evaluating toxic metal levels in internal organs is important for safety and health purposes. The toxicological assessment aim for this study is the assessment of the relationship between pathomorphological changes in kidney and the accumulation of toxic elements
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