Heavy Metal Concentrations in Five Tissues of Chickens from a Mining Area

This study presents the effect of metal-enriched rice on concentrations of Pb, Cd, Zn, and Cu in the tissues of chicken. The experimental group of chicken (fed with contaminated rice) accumulated high concentrations of Pb (1.00, 0.73, 0.52, 0.99, and 13.8 mg/kg dw in kidney, liver, muscle, blood and feather, respectively), being 2, 1.2, 3.5, 3, and 3.5 times the corresponding tissue Pb in the control group of chicken. Liver seemed to be the primary tissue for Cd accumulation. High concentrations of Pb and Cu were found in feathers compared to other tissues. Lead concentrations in the muscle and liver of the experimental group and liver Cd concentrations in both experimental and control groups exceeded the maximum permissible limits of Pb and Cd in foods of PR China, respectively. The results indicated that there were significant effects of metalenriched rice on Pb and Cd accumulations in chicken, and this dietary exposure pathway poses a potential health risk to local residents.