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. 2022 Dec 10;10(12):773.
doi: 10.3390/toxics10120773.

Accumulation of Metals in the Environment and Grazing Livestock near A Mongolian Mining Area

Bayartogtokh Bataa  1 , Kodai Motohira  2 , Delgermurun Dugar  1 , Tsend-Ayush Sainnokhoi  1 , Lkhamjav Gendenpil  1 , Tserenchimed Sainnokhoi  3 , Bolormaa Pelden  1 , Yared Beyene Yohannes  2   4 , Sumiya Ganzorig  5 , Shouta M M Nakayama  1   6 , Mayumi Ishizuka  1 , Yoshinori Ikenaka  2   7   8   9
Affiliations

Accumulation of Metals in the Environment and Grazing Livestock near A Mongolian Mining Area

Bayartogtokh Bataa et al. Toxics. .

Abstract

The Mongolian economy is supported by rich deposits of natural resources, such as copper, coal, and gold. However, the risk of heavy metal pollution to livestock and human have been recently discussed. This research collected various samples from soil and animal (sheep, goat, horse, cow, and camel), blood and organs (kidney and liver) in the Mongolian countryside. These samples were processed, and the concentration of metals was quantified using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP/MS). As previously reported, arsenic was found at high levels of accumulation in soil. Selenium is another concern, as median concentration in one area exceeded the maximum allowable level. Cadmium and selenium were found to be highly accumulated in animal kidney. This research revealed the current pollution level in Mongolia based on evaluation of soil and animals. The concentration in animals could not indicate that animals had severe effects because of heavy metal exposure. However, kidney is eaten in Mongolia, and so there is a direct connection to human health, and this research suggested the possible risks posed by each edible animal. In particular, evaluation of metals in livestock is rare in Mongolia. This result can contribute to animal and human health in Mongolian communities.

Keywords: animal health; food safety; metals; monitoring.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Sampling location. Sampling areas in Tuv-Aimag Zaamar, Dornogovi Airag, Zuun-bayan and Ulaanbadrakh were described by map using ArcGIS 10.7.1 (ESRI Co., Redlands, CA, USA).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Arsenic and selenium concentration in soil (all samples in this study). Arsenic (a) and selenium (b) concentration in all soil samples are shown in a box plot. The black line shows the maximum allowable limit, as regulated in Mongolia (arsenic: 20 mg/kg soil, selenium: 10 mg/kg soil).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Copper, zinc and selenium concentration in liver. Copper (a), zinc (b) and selenium (c) concentration in liver samples are shown in a box plot. The black line shows toxic and deficient level in (a) and (b), and marginally deficient level in (c). Deficient lines in (b) and (c) indicated 40 and 1.25 mg/kg although they had range 20—40 and 0.6—1.25 mg/kg respectively.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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