The effect of carbendazim, a widely applied cereal seed dressing agent, was studied in Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) during an overall period of eight weeks, consisting of a four-week feeding phase and a subsequent four-week excretion period. Body mass and feed consumption of the birds were monitored and residues of the active ingredient were determined by an analytical chemical method. During the eight-week study period, changes (either decrease or increase) directly attributable to the toxic effects of carbendazim were not found either in body mass or in feed consumption. Active ingredient levels exceeding the limit of detection were found in the liver (average: 0.0262 mg/kg) and pectoral muscle (average: 0.0236 mg/kg) of the birds and also in the egg (0.0338 mg/kg) samples. From the results it can be concluded that through the consumption of cereal seeds dressed with carbendazim, this active ingredient can be incorporated into the tissues of animals. Via the food chain, carbendazim can also enter the human organism, where it may cause various pathological changes in interaction with other chemicals.

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