Mercury, lead, cadmium, manganese, copper, iron and zinc concentrations in poultry, rabbit and sheep from the northern part of Poland.

The concentrations of mercury, lead, cadmium, manganese, copper, iron and zinc have been determined in poultry, rabbit and sheep from the northern part of Poland between 1988 and 1991. The method of measurement was cold vapour flameless AAS for mercury and flame AAS for other trace metals. Rabbits contained somewhat higher concentrations of lead in liver and kidneys than other species examined and the same could be observed in the case of cadmium in organ meats of duck and geese with apparently higher contamination of the rabbit's kidneys. While for an essential trace metals the values obtained seem to be species/tissue specific and typical.