Environmental cadmium and zinc concentrations in liver and kidney of european hare from different Serbian regions

Abstract

The assayed hares (n = 84) were divided into five age groups: 3-6, 12, 12-24, 24-36 and 36+ months. Between all sampling regions (11) significant differences of Cd levels were found in kidney and liver (p values of 0.001 and 0.007, respectively). Significant statistical differences (p = 0.001) are registered between Cd content in the kidney and liver of hares among all represented age groups. Looking at all investigated hare samples, moderately higher concentrations of Zn were found in the liver (median value: 25.4 mg/kg w.w.) compared to those in the kidney (21.4 mg/kg). These differences were statistically significant (p = 0.001). Zinc concentrations in the liver, between all age groups, did not differ significantly (p = 0.512) but in the kidney these differences were statistically significant (p = = 0.001). Significant differences between Zn concentrations in liver in comparison to kidney (pairwise differences) were found within every single age group with the exception of the oldest (36+). Strong statistically significant correlations (Ps - Pearson's correlation) between Cd concentrations in kidney and liver were registered in three groups older than 12 months (Ps = 0.81, p = 0.001; Ps = 0.78, p = 0.001 and Ps = 0.79, p = 0.001, respectively). Negative correlation between Zn and Cd concentrations were found in liver samples within the age group of 12 months (Ps = -0.67, p = 0.004).