Biomaterial Database

[Environmental pollution and toxicological assessment of major heavy metal (mercury, lead, cadmium) residues]. 1980

M Kühnert

Correlations are elucidated between contamination of feedstuffs and animal-based foodstuffs as well as crops, with reference being made to pollution of the environment by and residualisation of mercury, lead, and cadmium compounds. Yet, necessary provisions regarding toxicological indices of residues of relevant metals in feed and food should make allowance also for unavoidable pollution of the environment by the toxic agent concerned. Orientation to what is called "normal" or background values in the ecosystem is absolutely essential to any assessment of metallic residues. The proposed WHO tolerances, in the context of animal-based foodstuffs, are 0.1 ppm maximum for mercury and cadmium and 0.5 ppm for lead. However, possible presence of all three toxic agents in one given food item has been left unconsidered in that tolerance proposal.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007854	Lead	A soft, grayish metal with poisonous salts; atomic number 82, atomic weight 207.2, symbol Pb.
D008628	Mercury	A silver metallic element that exists as a liquid at room temperature. It has the atomic symbol Hg (from hydrargyrum, liquid silver), atomic number 80, and atomic weight 200.59. Mercury is used in many industrial applications and its salts have been employed therapeutically as purgatives, antisyphilitics, disinfectants, and astringents. It can be absorbed through the skin and mucous membranes which leads to MERCURY POISONING. Because of its toxicity, the clinical use of mercury and mercurials is diminishing.
D002104	Cadmium	An element with atomic symbol Cd, atomic number 48, and atomic weight 112.41. It is a metal and ingestion will lead to CADMIUM POISONING.
D004785	Environmental Pollutants	Substances or energies, for example heat or light, which when introduced into the air, water, or land threaten life or health of individuals or ECOSYSTEMS.	Environmental Pollutant,Pollutant,Pollutants,Pollutants, Environmental,Pollutant, Environmental
D005506	Food Contamination	The presence in food of harmful, unpalatable, or otherwise objectionable foreign substances, e.g. chemicals, microorganisms or diluents, before, during, or after processing or storage.	Food Adulteration,Adulteration, Food,Adulterations, Food,Contamination, Food,Contaminations, Food,Food Adulterations,Food Contaminations
D000821	Animal Feed	Foodstuff used especially for domestic and laboratory animals, or livestock.	Fodder,Animal Feeds,Feed, Animal,Feeds, Animal,Fodders