Toxic and essential trace metals in muscle, liver and kidney of bovines from a polluted area of Morocco

Toxic and essential trace metals were measured in muscle, bone, liver and kidney of bovine grazing on the municipal wastewater spreading field of Marrakech City (Morocco). Bovines were found to be seriously contaminated by toxic metals, especially cadmium, and levels were higher in liver and kidney, specific target organs for metal bioaccumulation. The high cadmium content seemed to contribute to a reduction in zinc and copper levels. The arithmetic mean concentrations of zinc, copper and cadmium in liver and kidney, were respectively: 126, 112 and 5.1 μg/g in liver; 89, 33 and 10.3 μg/g in kidney.