Industrial pollution with copper and other heavy metals in a beef cattle ranch

Experimental evidence of air borne heavy metal pollution as the cause of a disease of unknown etiology in beef cattle was obtained. Analysis of metals in natural grasses and leaves of tree defined Cu, Zn and Pb as the major pollutants, with Cd being a minor one. Emissions from a Cu smelter were traced as the main source of metallic pollution. No evidence of metal accumulation in the soil was found, mainly because of the short duration and intermittent pattern of pollution. A progressive intake of the several heavy metals contained in dusts deposited on the grasses was considered the cause of the sickness; this was associated with the grazing of cattle on contaminated grasses. The most severe cases were found in the most polluted pastures. Excepting Cd, the concentrations of the metals in the livers and kidneys of affected cattle were high. No overlapping of the respective ranges between test and control samples from both organs was found. Mean hepatic levels of Cu (925.7 mg/kg DM), Zn (491.2 mg/kg) and Pb (26.7 mg/kg) reflected the decreasing order of the concentrations of these elements in the polluted grasses. The main clinical and pathological features of this disease were discussed in light of the organic levels of the investigated metals. Disease could not be ascribed to a pure chronic toxicosis with any one of these.