ELEMENTAL STATUS OF GRAZING ANIMALS LOCATED ADJACENT TO THE LONDON ORBITAL (M25) MOTORWAY

The elemental (Br, Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Se, V, and Zn) content of b lood and wool or hair from animals (sheep, horses and alpacas) exposed to motor vehicle emissions alongside the London Orbital (M25) motorwa y is reported. Elemental values were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) quality control assessment using fl ameless atomic absorption spectroscopy (for Pb, correlation coefficien ts of whole blood r = +0.87, and hair r = +0.82), and replicate (n = 1 0) analysis of the international reference material IAEA A 1 3 Animal Blood. For Pb very good agreement was obtained between ICP-MS values 0 . 16 +/- 0.002 mug/g and non-certified values 0. 18 mug/g. Only Pb and Cd showed significantly elevated blood levels in sheep grazing alongs ide the M25 motorway when compared with control (background) animals. The range of Pb blood values was 0.15-0.51 mug/ml (M25) and 0.04-0.18 mug/ml (control), respectively. The elemental content of the outside ( tip) end of wool samples for the two study groups were significantly e levated in Br, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, V, and Zn for M25-exposed animals c ompared with controls. Elevated Pb and Cd were also found in horses' a nd alpacas' blood or hair in animals exposed to transportational activ ities. The relationship between whole blood and outer wool or hair Pb showed a very highly significant correlation for sheep (r = +0.89), ho rses (r = +0.69), and alpacas (r = +0.74) grazing alongside the M25 mo torway.