Quantification of Some Heavy Metals in Hair of Dairy Cows Housed in Different Areas from Sicily as a Bioindicator of Environmental Exposure—A Preliminary Study

Abstract

The objective of this preliminary study was to evaluate the levels of selected heavy metals in hair samples of Holstein dairy cows reared on agricultural soils characterized by grassland subjected to anthropogenic impacts. Ninety Holstein-Friesian cows were enrolled in the study and divided into six groups according to farm origin. From each animal, hair samples were collected in order to determine the content of aluminum, chromium, iron, copper, zinc, arsenic, cadmium, and lead. One-way analysis of variance was applied to assess statistically significant differences in the studied heavy metals among the six groups. A significant effect of groups (p < 0.05) on all tested heavy metals was observed. In this study, the low concentration of heavy metals in the hair of the studied animals led us to think that the cows were subjected to low levels of these compounds, preventing them from bioaccumulating. Although the current study provides only preliminary results, it highlights the importance of investigating the concentration of heavy metals in cow hair to improve the health and welfare of both humans and animals.

Roe Deer (Capreolus capreolus) Hair as a Bioindicator for the Environmental Presence of Toxic and Trace Elements

“…Both copper deficiency and poisoning, especially in ruminants, are responsible for nutritional and nutrition-related diseases and, in the case of livestock, for economic losses due to the mortality of animals. The mean Cu concentration we found in roe deer hair was higher than those reported in cows and silver foxes [ 37 , 38 ]; the differences may be explained by both the different physiological aspects of the species examined and the different sampling areas. Iron is the fourth most abundant metal in the earth’s crust and is the essential metal with the highest concentration in all species.…”

Heavy Metal Levels in Milk and Serum of Dairy Cows from Different Farms Located near an Industrial Area

“…Furthermore, Di Bella et al [ 26 ] also compared heavy metal contents in seafood products compared to other categories of foodstuffs produced in Augusta-Melilli Priolo (Syracuse province, Sicily) and found different higher values of total As, Hg, and Pb. A previous study, which assessed the heavy metal content in the hair of cattle, found higher Al, Cr, Fe, Cd, and Pb concentrations and lower Zn, Cu, and As concentrations in cows’ hair from a farm near an industrial area compared to a farm 400 mt from a greenhouse and 6 km from a chemical fertilizer factory [ 16 ]. Castro-Gonzalez et al [ 17 ] studied heavy metal concentrations in a further biological matrix of cows reared near the Popocatepetl volcano and found a significantly higher concentration of Cd in blood than in milk and urine and of Cr in blood than in urine, and a significantly lower concentration of Pb in blood than in milk and urine and of Cu in blood than in milk.…”

“…Specifically, 40 dairy cows were selected from farm 1 (group 1) at about 3.7 km form an industrial area (36°52′30.1″ N; 14°39′28.2″ E; 518 mt above sea level), and 40 dairy cows were from farm 2 (group 2) at about 400 mt from a greenhouse and 6.0 km from a chemical fertilizer factory (37°00′41.4″ N; 14°19′33.8″ E; 173 mt above sea level). During the research, cows were selected during the first 30–40 days of lactation, taking into account the maximum mobilization of chemical elements in the body from the depot [ 16 ]. On all farms, dairy cows were housed in barns with access to a grazing area for at least 10 h a day.…”

“…Animals are good indicators of environmental pollution from heavy metals [ 14 ]. As a matter of fact, the chronic exposure to heavy metals through several routes results in their higher accumulation in different tissues [ 15 ], including the hair [ 16 ], blood, and urine [ 17 ] of cows. Though the heavy metal values found in the different biological matrices of several animals are an indicator of the exposure to environmental pollutants, the degree of heavy metal contamination is not constant and differs depending on the exposure routes, environmental conditions, animals’ nutrition, stage of lactation, and animal breed [ 18 , 19 , 20 ].…”

Composition of Stallion Seminal Plasma and Its Impact on Oxidative Stress Markers and Spermatozoa Quality

“…Semen reflects besides genetic predispositions, diet, paternal effects, and sexual maturity also the state of the environment [22]. Toxic wastes in the form of endocrine disruptors [23] or heavy metals [24], as a result of the excessive industrial and anthropogenic activity accumulate in the biosphere [25][26][27], which eventually leads to the contamination of the fauna and flora [28][29][30][31][32][33][34]. Thus, chronic intoxication of the domestic animals, displayed in the impaired fertility, may occur even in a seemingly safe habitat.…”