%0 Journal Article
%T Monitoring of Lead in Topsoil, Forage, Blood, Liver, and Kidneys in Cows in a Lead-Polluted Area in Slovenia (1975每2002) and a Case of Lead Poisoning (1993)
%A T. Zadnik
%J International Journal of Chemical Engineering
%D 2010
%I Hindawi Publishing Corporation
%R 10.1155/2010/940206
%X The paper presents the results of a prolonged research in a lead-polluted area. Extensive systematic studies of lead concentrations in topsoil, forage, blood, liver, and kidney in cows on farms within 1每10ˋkm around the lead mine and smelter were carried out. After installation of a filter in 1978, lead concentrations began to decrease. However, when toxic levels of lead were within normal reference values, the authorities stopped to finance the project. In 2002, the research was concluded. A review of studies showed that the protective filter was effective; during the period 1975每2002 mean lead in forage dropped from 584.0ˋ㊣ˋ324.0 to 5.5ˋ㊣ˋ2.9ˋmg/kg, and the mean blood lead levels dropped from 1.251ˋ㊣ˋ0.580 to 0.069ˋ㊣ˋ0.041ˋmg/kg. Three years after the filter was installed the amount of lead in the liver and kidneys had normalized. Closely related to our research was also a case of cow lead poisoning. 1. Introduction Lead is a bluish white to gray heavy metal that was probably the first toxic element recognized by man. Lead is ubiquitous in the manmade environment, because of its numerous uses and yet still has great relevance today [1]. Very frequent and potential source of lead content in animal tissues are forage produced on agricultural surface or cattle grazing on pastures contaminated by airborne emissions from nearby smelters [2每5]. Chronic and nonapparent poisoning due to ingesting smaller quantities of lead contaminated forage over a longer period of time is characterized by nonspecific signs which may be expressed as loss of appetite, weight loss, reproduction disorders, anemia, osteoporosis and immunosuppression [6每9]. Environmental pollution in the vicinity of lead-ore processing factories can result in varying degrees of poisoning with lead [2, 10每12]. Cows blood lead levels is a good bioindicator of environmental contamination [2, 7, 13]. Concentration of lead in whole blood and milk resulting from the daily exposure to lead does not produce any clinical evidence of disease [13]. In dead and slaughtered animals lead was usually analyzed in the liver, kidneys, and muscles [13每15]. The contamination of food of animal origin with lead in some areas of Slovenia was presented in amounts higher (>0.500ˋmg/kg WW) than the levels allowed by national guidelines [16]. One of these areas is the Upper Meˋa Valley. From the point of polluted environment and emissions of lead gasses and dust, the valley is ranked into the 4th class of national classification for environmental pollution [17]. It is an area with stationary contamination of upper layers
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijce/2010/940206/