COPPER DEFICIENCY IN CATTLE, SHEEP AND HORSES CAUSED BY EXCESS MOLYBDENUM FROM FLY-ASH - A CASE-REPORT

A case of copper deficiency or molybdenum toxicosis in cattle, sheep a nd horses after heavy pollution of a pasture with fly ash is described . If the pastures had not been grazed by cattle and sheep as well as t he horses, it would have been difficult to identify the reason for the intoxication in the horses. It is argued that molybdenum intoxication , although seldom seen in non-ruminants, was the cause of the deaths o f the horses. It is suggested that the bioavailability of molybdenum i n fly ash is high and therefore can cause equine intoxication.