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

Abstract

Free-living game can be an important source of dietary cadmium and lead; the question is whether exposure to these two elements is such that it might cause adverse health effects in the consumers. The aim of this study was to estimate dietary exposure to cadmium, lead, and mercury from free-living big game (fallow deer, roe deer, red deer, wild boar, and brown bear), and to mercury from small game (pheasant and hare), hunted in Croatia from 1990 to 2012. The exposure assessment was based on available literature data and our own measurements of metal levels in the tissues of the game, by taking into account different consumption frequencies (four times a year, once a month and once a week). Exposure was expressed as percentage of (provisional) tolerable weekly intake [(P)TWI] values set by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Consumption of game meat (0.002-0.5 % PTWI) and liver (0.005-6 % PTWI) assumed for the general population (four times a year) does not pose a health risk to consumers from the general population, nor does monthly (0.02-6 % PTWI) and weekly (0.1-24 % PTWI) consumption of game meat. However, because of the high percentage of free-living game liver and kidney samples exceeding the legislative limits for cadmium (2-99 %) and lead (1-82 %), people should keep the consumption of certain game species' offal as low as possible. Children and pregnant and lactating women should avoid eating game offal altogether. Free-living game liver could be an important source of cadmium if consumed on a monthly basis (3-74 % TWI), and if consumed weekly (11-297 % TWI), it could even give rise to toxicological concern.

Content of Selected Macro- and Microelements in the Liver of Free-Living Wild Boars (Sus scrofa L.) from Agricultural Areas and Health Risks Associated with Consumption of Liver

“…Kicińska et al [15] reported a potential risk to health associated with the consumption of liver from game animals (HI > 1). In contrast, Lazarus et al [48] indicated that consumption of game meat and liver in Croatia did not pose a health risk to consumers, regardless of the exposure scenario. Nevertheless, the authors suggested that children should avoid eating game liver, because a high percentage of samples were found to exceed the permitted limits for Cd and Pb.…”

Risk Assessment of Wild Game Meat Intake in the Context of the Prospective Development of the Venison Market in Poland

“…In turn, red deer meat derived from Croatia contained ca. 0.1710 mg lead/kg meat [33]. Based on the collected data, it can be concluded that both the environmental conditions and the site of lead gunshot on animal body represent important factors that determine this element content in meat.…”

“…The permissible level of mercury in meat of slaughter animals has been set at 0.04 mg/kg meat. [33,36]. From the above data, including studies carried out at different times and in different places, it appears that -contrary to the popular belief -venison is not highly contaminated with heavy metals.…”

“…The permissible level of cadmium in meat of slaughter animals has been set at 0.05 mg/kg meat. Analyses of meat samples from the Croatian wild-living game [33] showed cadmium content at 0.0584 mg/kg muscles. In turn, meat of red deers from northern Italy had a lower cadmium content, reaching 0.0060 mg/kg meat [34].…”

Teratogenic effect of cadmium: From the developing embryo to the fetus

“…4 MD, MSc, Centro de investigaciones Fundación Valle del Lili, Cali -Colombia, associated profesor at Universidad Libre Cali, Colombia. followed by pollution and breast milk or powdered formula in the newborns 2,[4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18] .…”