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International Conference on

Recent Trends in Environmental Sustainability

ESCON22/ETERM/58
Bioaccumulation of trace elements in rabbit tissues from dietary intake of contaminated
vegetables

Hina Razzaq1, Muhammad Shahid*1, Natasha1, Sana Khalid1, Behzad Murtaza1, Muhammad
Imran1, Faiz Rabbani1
1Department of Environmental Sciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Vehari- Campus,
61100 Pakistan
Correspondence: muhammadshahid@cuivehari.edu.pk

Abstract
Wastewater application for the agriculture purposes causes a number of health and sanitary
risks due to trace element contamination. The current study investigated trace element
bioaccumulation at higher trophic levels using rabbit as a model animal to anticipate trace
element bioassimilation in human tissues. The rabbits were fed with trace element-
contaminated spinach for 2 weeks. The clinical toxicity symptoms (mortality rate, weight loss,
in appetence) were monitored on daily basis. After the feeding experiment, rabbit tissues (liver,
kidney, blood and muscle) were analyzed for trace element contents (As, Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni,
Pb and Zn). The results revealed that wastewater irrigation induced toxicity in terms of weight
loss in rabbits probably due to the accumulation of high levels of trace elements in tissues.
Being essential elements, Zn, Fe, Cu, and Mn were present in all tissues including blood, liver,
kidney and muscles of rabbits. It was noticed that toxic metals (As, Pb, Cd, Ni) were higher in
blood as compared to liver and kidney and minute concentrations were observed in muscle
tissues of rabbits. It can be anticipated that toxic elements may accumulate less in soft tissues,
however, future studies are warranted to estimate temporal effects on the accumulation of trace
elements in tissues from dietary intake of contaminated food. The results of this study might
be effective to estimate the bioaccumulation behavior of toxic elements in human tissues and
their health effects in response to contaminated food intake.
Keywords: bio assimilation, kidney, trace elements, irrigation, contaminated vegetables

Department of Environmental Sciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Vehari Campus

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