Published in Scientific Works. Series C. Veterinary Medicine, Vol. LXXI, Issue 2
Written by Emanuela BADEA, Gheorghe Valentin GORAN, Cristina ȚOCA
Heavy metal contamination poses a significant environmental and public health concern due to the biomagnification process, together with their toxic effects on living organisms. This researched aimed to assess the concentrations of Pb, Cd, Hg, and Ni using dogs’ hair as a bioindicator, while also taking into consideration the sex, age, living and feeding conditions of the dogs. The hair samples were analysed by ICP-MS. Dogs that lived outdoors had higher Pb, Cd, and Ni concentrations, compared to indoor dogs, although the difference was not statistically significant. No statistical significance was either found when assessing heavy metal concentrations in dog hair based on feed type, however there were higher concentrations of Pb and Ni in dogs consuming commercial food, of Hg in dogs consuming home-cooked food, and of Cd in dogs having a mixed diet. The findings of this research support the assumption that dogs which are raised outdoors, in a polluted environment, accumulate higher levels of some heavy metals, and that the duration of the environmental exposure may also play a role in the amount of accumulated heavy metals. lead, cadmium, mercury, nickel, dogs
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