[Lead in the organs and tissues of slaughter cattle as a result of environmental pollution].

The normal values of lead in the organs and tissues of clinically healthy slaughter cattle were determined by the method of atomic absorption spectrophotometry and by the polarographic method. Animals of various age categories came from several farms of the East-Slovakian region. The lead found in the liver of young fattened cattle was not determined polarographically, since its concentration was under the threshold of sensitivity of the method (1.0 ppm). In the older category of animals (4-16 years old dairy cows) the following lead levels were revealed by the method of atomic absorption spectrophotometry: liver: (n = 76) 1.4 ppm, kidney cortex (n = 51) 1.5 ppm, bone tissue (n = 37) 3.3 ppm, muscle (n = 24) 1.0 ppm. The animals coming from different places had diverse amounts of lead in their tissues. The fact that the organs and tissues of slaughter cattle contained lead as a non-biogenic element is attributed mainly to environment pollution. The normal concentrations of lead, as determined in our study, can be used in chemical diagnosis of poisoning and in the evaluation of the hygienic safety of foodstuffs of animal origin.