Essential and toxic elements concentrations in animal tissues of sheep from two different regions of Slovakia

Anotace: Animal products and meat from farm animals are consumed daily and it is very good source of animal proteins, but consumer´s information about exposure to heavy metals in meat and it´s health risk is in general low. The main goal of the present work was to determine essential and toxic elements in offal and meat of sheep from two different regions of Slovakia with different environmental load. In present study 11 elements (essential elements: calcium, zinc, magnesium, selenium, iron, copper; toxic elements: arsenic, cadmium, mercury, lead, nickel) have been analysed. Statistically significant differences (P <0.01) were noted between the concentrations of Ca, Zn, Cu in the liver, Zn and Se in the kidneys of animals, Ca, and Mg in muscle. In the liver of sheep, statistically significant differences (P <0.05) was detected in concentration of Fe and in the case concentration of Se in the mammary gland and muscle of animals. Chemical analyses between the control and experimental group of animals indicated increased concentrations of Cd in the liver and kidney of animals in both monitored groups, which exceeded the maximum residual limit. Results of this also showed statistically significant correlations between some elements in animal tissue samples.