Heavy metals residues in slaughtered animals in relation to their age

The study conducted to determined heavy metals in cattle andsheep carcasses. In order to determined the influence of age onheavy metal accumulation. A total of 120 random samples of liver,kidney and muscle (10 of each) which 60 samples were collectedfrom (young and old) sheep and 60 samples were collected fromcattle carcasses that were examined clinically and inspected for ageat Zagazig abattoir. Those cattle with milky teeth or changed thetwo central incisor (1.9-2years) were considered young but thosechanged all incisor teeth placed in aged group. Also sheep withmilky teeth or changed the two central incisor (9 months-l.2 years)were considered as young animals, however those changed allincisor teeth were placed in aged group. Each tissue samples waskept separately in polyethylene bags with identification cardshowing type of animal, type. of tissue sample and the age ofanimal.Samples (one gram each) were supjected for wet digestionprocedure in screw capped tubes using nitric perchloric acidmixture (3:2). The tubes following overnight incubation at roomtemperature, were placed in a water bath set at 70 0 c for 3 hours toensure complete digestion. The digest was diluted with 5 mildeionized water and filtered with whittman filter paper. The filtrateused to determine lead and cadmium residues by means of atomicabsorption spectrophotometer. The results were calculated asmicro gram metal per gram wet matter (ppm wet weight basis).The obtained result revealed that the examined muscle, liverand kidney samples from young cattle had lower lead residuesconcentration 0.1002 ± 0.0097,0.215 ± 0.047 and 0.147 ± 0.035respectively comparing with aged animal 0.761 ± 0.145, 2.129 ±