CONCENTRATION OF SELECTED HEAVY METALS IN BROWN HARE (LEPUS EUROPAEUS) AND WILD BOAR (SUS SCROFA) FROM CENTRAL TURKEY

In the present study, concentrations of heavy metals viz. chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), and a metalloid selenium (Se) were examined in kidney, liver and muscle tissues of 15 brown hares ( Lepus europaeus ) and 9 wild boars ( Sus scrofa ) obtained from Kirikkale province located in central Turkey. Significant variation in the concentrations of the studied heavy metals in the selected tissues was recorded. Mean concentrations of Cr (1.02 mg/kg), Mn (6.00 mg/kg), Se (1.15 mg/kg) and Cd (4.49 mg/kg) were the highest in hare kidney compared to other tissues, whereas concentrations of Cu (2.34 mg/kg) and Zn (40.51 mg/kg) were the highest in hare liver, and Pb (7.83 mg/kg) was the highest in hare muscle. On the other hand, mean concentrations of Cr (1.82 mg/kg), Cu (1.25 mg/kg), Se (3.55 mg/kg) and Cd (3.05 mg/kg) were the highest in boar kidney compared to liver and muscle tissues, whereas concentrations of Mn (3.89 mg/kg) and Pb (0.75 mg/kg) were the highest in boar liver, and Zn (45.65 mg/kg) was the highest in boar muscle. Strong positive significant correlations were found between Cr and Hg, and between Cu and Pb concentrations in kidney in all wild boar samples. There were also strong positive significant correlations between Cd and Pb concentrations in liver and Cd and Pb concentrations in muscle in all hare samples. Our results revealed that Hg (1/9 boar kidney; 4/15 hare kidney), Cr (9/9 boar all three tissues; 9/15 hare kidney and 11/15 hare liver), Pb (4/9 boar muscle; 5/15 hare liver, 15/15 hare muscle) and Cd (9/9 boar all three tissues; 15/15 hare all three tissues) concentrations detected in wild boar and hare tissues in the present study were higher than the hygienic limits.