The Brown Hare (<i>Lepus europaeus</i>) as a Biomonitor for the Presence of Lead and Cadmium in Vojvodina, Serbia

Summary Lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) are heavy metals considered possible contaminants of water, soil air (especially when occurring as a consequence human activities in agriculture or industry), can be found the liver kidneys animals, thus serving indicators pollution. Vojvodina is northern province Republic Serbia which boasts very intensive agricultural production, especially crop production. The brown hare well-adapted abundant Vojvodina. As complete herbivore, it has potential to good biomonitor for presence lead chosen biotope. A total 60 samples livers were collected analyzed immediately after hunting. average concentration all was 851.43 µg/kg wet tissue. concentrations determined at three different sites (namely Odžaci Bačka, Rusko selo Banat Kraljevci Srem) not statistically significant. However, above permitted level (500 tissue). maximum amount 2,302 tissue, i.e. almost five times level. ranged from 12.90 1183.00 significant, suggesting local source contamination. I, II III 65.57, 205.91 413.99 respectively. below level, although exceeding legal limit some analyzed.