Impact of Automobile Exhausted Lead Contamination In Health Status of Cattle And Goat With Subsequent Effect On Food Chain

摘要

The present study was carried out to assess the sub clinical and subtle effects of lead exposed at low level due to automobile exhaustion around a part of National highway (NH-34) spanning 110 kilometer in West Bengal. The effect of lead contamination on haemopoietic and metabolic system along with the depositional tissue distribution in cattle and goat were studied. The experimental area was heavily trafficked by 2623.271 ± 66.125 number of large vehicle per day. In the area, householders rear the selected cattle and goat at free-range system with common measures in management practice. Cattle and goat each seven in number reared within 500 meter away from National Highway were marked as experimental animals and equal number of animals reared beyond 1 KM away from National Highway in the same experimental area were taken as control. Study was performed at premonsoon season (April-May, 2005). The results showed that there was a significant increase (PO.01) in plasma lead concentration in cattle and also in goat (P < 0.01) from control to experimental animals. The mean with standard error values were increased from 0.186 ± 0.027 ppm to 0.323 ± 0.047 ppm in cattle and 0.211 ± 0.023 ppm to 0.316 ± 0.032 ppm in goat. Similarly the concentration of plasma aspertate transaminase, plasma alanine transaminase and total plasma bilirubin were increased significantly (P < 0.01) from control to experimental animal both in cattle and goat. The plasma creatinine concentration was also increased significantly from control to experimental animal in cattle (P < 0.01) and in goat (P < 0.05). Due to distribution dynamic the lead can be deposited in different tissues with variable concentration. As such, the lead concentration was increased significantly (P < 0.01) from control to experimental animal both in cattle and goat. The mean with standard error of lead concentration (ppm) in muscle (dry weight basis) of cattle was 0.277 ± 0.034 vs. 0.434 ± 0.029 and that of goat 0.278 ± 0.022 vs. 0.434 ± 0.036 in control and experimental animal respectively. The study indicates that there is a direct effect of automobile exhausted lead upon the health status of animal, which also creates an impact on food chain from animal to human through meat by depositional effect.