The Concentration of Selected Heavy Metals in Muscles, Liver and Kidneys of Pigs Fed Standard Diets and Diets Containing 60% of New Rye Varieties
Agnieszka Chałabis-Mazurek,
Jose Luis Valverde Piedra,
Siemowit Muszyński,
Ewa Tomaszewska,
Sylwia Szymańczyk,
Sylwester Kowalik,
Marcin B. Arciszewski,
Anna Zacharko-Siembida,
Tomasz Schwarz
Affiliations
Agnieszka Chałabis-Mazurek
Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Environmental Protection, University of Life Sciences, Lublin, 13 Akademicka St., 20-950 Lublin, Poland
Jose Luis Valverde Piedra
Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Environmental Protection, University of Life Sciences, Lublin, 13 Akademicka St., 20-950 Lublin, Poland
Siemowit Muszyński
Department of Biophysics, Faculty of Environmental Biology, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, 13 Akademicka St., 20-950 Lublin, Poland
Ewa Tomaszewska
Department of Animal Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, 12 Akademicka St., 20-950 Lublin, Poland
Sylwia Szymańczyk
Department of Animal Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, 12 Akademicka St., 20-950 Lublin, Poland
Sylwester Kowalik
Department of Animal Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, 12 Akademicka St., 20-950 Lublin, Poland
Marcin B. Arciszewski
Department of Animal Anatomy and Histology, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, 20-950 Lublin, Poland
Anna Zacharko-Siembida
Department of Animal Anatomy and Histology, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, 20-950 Lublin, Poland
Tomasz Schwarz
Department of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Ethology, Faculty of Animal Sciences, University of Agriculture in Kraków, 24/28 Mickiewicza Ave., 30-059 Cracow, Poland
The carry-over of heavy metals from feed to muscles is generally low if animals are fed with a standard diet containing amounts below the maximum permissible levels. However, prolonged exposure to heavy metals can lead to their accumulation in some organs like muscles, liver, and kidneys. This paves the way for human health risks related to the consumption of products of animal-origin. Thus, using feed mixtures with a low level of heavy metals in pig production will contribute to increasing public health and safety and is of environmental concern. The study aimed to assess the impact of the level of some heavy metals (Cd, Pb, Hg, Cu, Zn, Fe and Mn) in standard (control) feed mixtures and in alternative feed mixtures based on maize or new rye varieties (population and hybrid) on the heavy metal concentration in muscles, liver and kidney of fattened pigs at slaughter. While some differences between heavy metals content in examined tissue samples from experimental groups were observed, all of them were in the range of allowable levels according to European Community rules. In conclusion, new rye varieties, especially the hybrid variety, could be an alternative source of cereal grains for pig nutrition.