Contents of chemical elements in tissues of European badger (Meles meles) affected by ovarian tumour - a case report
Abstrakt
Higher concentrations of chemical elements in animal tissues may be associated with tumours and may explain cancerogenity. In this study, selected chemical elements were measured in the liver, kidneys, muscles and tissues affected by tumour in a dead female European badger (Meles meles) with a metastatic ovarian carcinoma.
Atomic absorption spectroscopy was used for the assessment of concentrations of arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, and zinc. AMA 254 analyser was used for the assessment of mercury concentration.
Concentrations of heavy metals such as As, Cr, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb, and total Hg amounted to 0.031, 0.16, 7.74, 44.54, 0.67, 0.67, and 0.36 mg.kg(-1) in the tumour tissue. This is the first detection of ovarian tumour in a European badger (Meles meles) which was systematically examined for the presence of chemical elements.