Heavy metals are ubiquitous in soil, water, and air. Their entrance into the food chain is an important environmental issue that entails risks to humans. Several reports indicate that game meat can be an important source of heavy metals, particularly because of the increasing consumption of game meat, mainly by hunters. We performed an exposure assessment of hunters and members of their households, both adults and children, who consumed wild boar (WB) meat and offal. We estimated the amount of cadmium, lead, and chromium in the tissues of WB hunted in six areas within Viterbo Province (Italy) and gathered data on WB meat and offal consumption by conducting specific diet surveys in the same areas. The exposure to cadmium, lead, and chromium was simulated with specifically developed Monte Carlo simulation models. Cadmium and lead levels in WB liver and meat harvested in Viterbo Province (Italy) were similar to or lower than the values reported in other studies. However, some samples contained these metals at levels greater then the EU limits set for domestic animals. The chromium content of meat or liver cannot be evaluated against any regulatory limit, but our results suggest that the amounts of this metal found in WB products may reflect a moderate environmental load. Our survey of the hunter population confirmed that their consumption of WB meat and liver was greater than that of the general Italian population. This level of consumption was comparable with other European studies. Consumption of WB products contributes significantly to cadmium and lead exposure of both adults and children. More specifically, consumption of the WB liver contributed significantly to total cadmium and lead exposure of members of the households of WB hunters. As a general rule, liver consumption should be kept to a minimum, especially for children living in these hunter households. The exposure to chromium estimated for this population of hunters may be considered to be safe. However, a specific and complete assessment of chromium speciation in relevant dietary and environmental situations should be conducted.

Morphometric studies on European red deer (Cervus elaphus L.) living in sub-Mediterranean areas are rare. In this paper, we provide the first morphometric description of red deer from Apennine living in Prato Province, as well as a description of its skeletal growth pattern. We analysed 18 body, cranial and antler measurements from 905 deer carcasses, collected during 12 hunting seasons (2000-2012). The body size of red deer from Prato appeared comparable to that of other populations from Northern Apennine and Central Alps. A significant variation in weight during the hunting season was detected only in adult stags: they were estimated to lose 23% of their eviscerated body weight from the beginning of the rutting season until the end of winter. The relationship between eviscerated body weight (EW) and whole body weight (WW) was highly significant in both sexes within every age class (R 2 always higher than 0.75), thus linear regressions were assessed in order to estimate EW from WW, allowing to complete datasets when such information is missing. Growth equations were utilised to describe the development of a subset of skeletal measures (height at shoulder, hind foot length, mandible length, head-trunk length) commonly collected on hunted cervids. Hind foot length was the measure which first ceased to grow and with the highest growth constant; although the relationship between cohort hind foot length and environmental, climatic and demographic variables has to be tested for red deer from Apennine, these bones appeared a suitable biological indicator for long-term monitoring of the species.

Thirty-two Appenninica lambs were submitted to a growth trial from day 60 to day 110 of age (on average) and the com- 

position of gains was estimated by means of the comparative slaughter technique. Sixteen different diets, based on wheat 

straw as the forage and on field bean (Vicia faba var. minor) as the sole protein feed, were tested both by means of ANOVA 

and of response surface analysis, a multiple regression method designed to study additive and interaction effects. This 

study thus examined the combined effect of 4 levels of dietary CP (13, 15, 18, 20% DM) and 4 levels of rumen protected 

lysine and methionine, replacing 4 levels of field bean CP (0, 1, 2, 3 percent units), upon intakes, gains, digestibility and 

retentions of nutrients within gains. The animals had rather high gains (250 g/d on average) and retention efficiencies both 

of feed nitrogen and energy. Dietary CP levels higher than 18% and amino acid supplementation appeared of no use in 

improving the lambs’ performance. It is concluded that field bean may represent a valid alternative to soy bean as a pro- 

tein feed for growing ruminants in the so-called “organic” animal production where transgenic soy is banned.