Journal of Environmental Biology

Bioaccumulation of lead in milk of buffaloes from Cooum river belt in Chennai

 

P. Arockia Sahayaraj¹ and K. Ayyadurai*²

¹Post Graduate Department of Chemistry, Periyar E.V.R. College, Tiruchirapalli - 620 023, India

²Department of Veterinary Biochemistry, Madras Veterinary College, Chennai - 600 007, India

(Received: October 08, 2007; Revised received: March 20, 2008; Accepted: July 28, 2008)

 

Abstract:? Bioaccumulation of heavy metals has been studied in aquatic flora and fauna to a greater extent than in terrestrial animals. Hence, this study was performed to find out whether lead was excreted in the milk of buffaloes reared near the Cooum belt which was fed by contaminated feed and polluted water from the nearby wells. The concentrations of lead in milk of buffaloes fed under farm conditions were also studied. The results have indicated that the ground water (0.32 ?g ml^-1) and feed (8.62 ?g g^-1) are the sources of lead in buffalo milk (0.06 ?g ml^-1). It revealed that one unit increases of lead in water and feed corresponded to an increase of 77.38 and 37.77 units respectively in milk of buffaloes reared near the contaminated watercourse. However, the milk of buffaloes from Central Cattle Breeding Farm is free from lead? (0.013 ?g ml^-1) pollution. The reason for bioaccumulation of lead? in the milk of buffaloes reared near the sewage carrying river is due to drinking of contaminated ground water from wells and bore-wells dug near the river.

Key words: Buffalo, Milk, Ground water, Feed, Lead

 

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