Blood and offal tissue lead levels of Goats, sheep and chickens farmed near Battery Recycling smelters of Hyderabad Pakistan

Abstract

Battery recycling is a common secondary lead smelting technique responsible for health hazards in humans and animals. In the present study live stock farms of goat. Sheep and chickens in the vicinity of battery recycling complex in Hyderabad Sindh were surveyed for lead content in soil, pasture grasses, blood, and tissue samples derived from liver, kidneys, femur and chest muscles of animals. The lead content of soil and grass samples ranged between 70- 1310mg/kg and 20- 250 mg/kg respectively where as the blood lead levels of goats, sheep and chickens ranged between 3.32- 39.54µg/dl. The mean lead content of liver, kidney, and femur muscles of goat was found as 4.23± 1.37, 3.91 ± 0.86, and 1.25± 1.13 µg /dl respectively. The corresponding values in sheep were found as 6.02 ± 1.0, 6.58 ± 0.73, and 2.26 ± 0.46 µg/dl respectively. The elevated levels of lead were also found in chickens organs when compared with controls. All results being statistically significant indicated high impact of lead pollution from recycling complex on the health of animals.