A survey of the cadmium concentration in kidney, liver and muscle of Aough Australian cattle
RIS ID
80007
Abstract
A survey to assess the extent of cadmium accumulation in South Australian cattle was undertaken in 1989–91. Of the 8635 cattle sampled, about 12% of the kidney samples and 1% of the liver samples contained cadmium concentrations above the maximum permitted concentration for human consumption of 2.5 mg/kg wet weight for kidney and 1.25 mg/kg wet weight for liver. None of the 262 muscle samples assayed contained cadmium concentrations above the maximum permitted concentration of 0.2 mg/kg wet weight. There was a significant effect of location, gender and season on the extent of non-compliance. Of the regions examined, non-compliance rates for Kangaroo Island, Lower Eyre, South East and Lower Central were significantly higher than for the other regions. In general, non-compliance rates were higher in female cattle than in male cattle, increased with age and were lowest in spring. After adjustment for these factors, non-compliance rates were similar across farm types, namely dairy, beef and feedlot. Although there was a significant correlation between cadmium concentrations in liver and in whole kidney, the confidence limit was considered excessive, rendering liver cadmium values an unreliable predictor of cadmium values in kidney.
Publication Details
Koh, T., Bansemer, P. & Smith, A. B. (1998). A survey of the cadmium concentration in kidney, liver and muscle of Aough Australian cattle. The Australian Journal of Indigenous EducationExperimental Agriculture, 38 535-540.