Cadmium, Lead, and Chromium in Large Game: A Local-Scale Exposure Assessment for Hunters Consuming Meat and Liver of Wild Boar

Abstract

Heavy metals are ubiquitous in soil, water, and air. Their entrance into the food chain is an important environmental issue that entails risks to humans. Several reports indicate that game meat can be an important source of heavy metals, particularly because of the increasing consumption of game meat, mainly by hunters. We performed an exposure assessment of hunters and members of their households, both adults and children, who consumed wild boar (WB) meat and offal. We estimated the amount of cadmium, lead, and chromium in the tissues of WB hunted in six areas within Viterbo Province (Italy) and gathered data on WB meat and offal consumption by conducting specific diet surveys in the same areas. The exposure to cadmium, lead, and chromium was simulated with specifically developed Monte Carlo simulation models. Cadmium and lead levels in WB liver and meat harvested in Viterbo Province (Italy) were similar to or lower than the values reported in other studies. However, some samples contained these metals at levels greater then the EU limits set for domestic animals. The chromium content of meat or liver cannot be evaluated against any regulatory limit, but our results suggest that the amounts of this metal found in WB products may reflect a moderate environmental load. Our survey of the hunter population confirmed that their consumption of WB meat and liver was greater than that of the general Italian population. This level of consumption was comparable with other European studies. Consumption of WB products contributes significantly to cadmium and lead exposure of both adults and children. More specifically, consumption of the WB liver contributed significantly to total cadmium and lead exposure of members of the households of WB hunters. As a general rule, liver consumption should be kept to a minimum, especially for children living in these hunter households. The exposure to chromium estimated for this population of hunters may be considered to be safe. However, a specific and complete assessment of chromium speciation in relevant dietary and environmental situations should be conducted.

Cadmium, Lead, and Mercury Exposure Assessment Among Croatian Consumers of Free-Living Game

“…Weekly exposure to Cd, Pb, and Hg from meat and liver was estimated based on mean or 95 th percentile metal levels [34][35][36][37]. Wild boar was hunted at locations 9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19 (based on references [33][34][35][36][37][38]. Pheasant and hare were hunted at hunting estate Molve -1 (based on references 29,30) and three consumption scenarios, i.e.…”

“…These facts, together with the enhanced availability of game meat to the average consumer via restaurants and supermarkets, lead to a possibility that game consumption is also increasing. Generally, game consumption frequency data with average amount eaten per year/week are very scarce in the literature (7,10,53) In its dietary exposure model for especially high exposure to Cd and Pb EFSA has assumed that a person eats 200 g of meat and 100 g of offal per week (5,6).…”

“…It is important to differentiate exposure estimation for general population, and hunters, their household members and friends who in Croatia, like in other countries, are the vast majority of free-living game consumers (7)(8)(9)(10)(11). Consumption frequency in this subpopulation is independent of the availability of Lazarus M, et …”

“…Food is the main source of non-occupational exposure to Cd, Pb, and Hg in the non-smoking adult population (4)(5)(6). Free-living game is dominantly consumed by hunters and their families and friends (2,(7)(8)(9)(10)(11). The 65,000 hunters registered in Croatia in 2012 constituted about 1.4 % of the general population (12).…”

“…Several recent European studies (7,10,(14)(15)(16)(17) focused on exposure to toxic metals from consumption of free-living animals. Some pointed out that regular intake of free-living game is likely to result in exceeding the provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI) for Cd and Pb (14)(15)(16)(17) proposed by the EFSA (5,18).…”