Accumulation of metals in autopsy tissues of subjects living in Tarragona County, Spain

The concentrations of arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), chromium (Cr ), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), manganese (Mn), mercury (Hg), nickel (Ni), tin ( Sn), vanadium (V) and zinc (Zn) were determined in autopsy tissues collecte d from subjects who at the time of death had lived in Tarragona (Catalonia, Spain) over a period of, at least, the previous 10 years. Samples of liver , lung, kidney, brain and bone were obtained from a total of 78 non-occupat ionally exposed subjects, autopsied between 1997 and 1999. Arsenic, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Pb, Mn, Hg, Ni, Sn, V and Zn were determined by inductively couple d plasma spectrometry (ICP/MS). The results were analyzed with respect to a ge, sex, smoking and drinking habits, and the subject's place of residence. Most tissue concentrations of As, Co, Cr, Hg and V were near to the analyt ical detection limit or, in some cases, even below it. However, the levels of Cu were slightly higher than the average concentrations found in other s tudies. Also, tissue concentrations of Mn, Sn and Zn were similar to those found in previous surveys, while those of Ni were lower than previously rep orted. Although the current levels of tissue Cd and Pb were comparatively l ower than in studies in other areas, the distribution of both metals was si milar to previously-reported trends. From the tissue metal concentrations o bserved in the present study, it would appear that neither environmental ex posure nor a dietary excess of these elements could be considered a health hazard to people living in the study area.