Levels of Mineral Elements in Different Organs of Dogs from the Ionian-Etnean Volcanic Area

Mineral elements can either be pollutants or essential dietary components. Monitoring their levels in the environment and living organisms is crucial because excessive amounts can become toxic. Dogs, due to their proximity to humans, shared habitats, and similar organ structures, can be effective indicators of environmental pollution by toxic elements. This study aimed to assess the levels of 11 mineral elements in 80 dog carcasses (49 males and 31 females), aged between 2 and 16 years, from the Ionian-Etnean volcanic region of the province of Catania, where the dogs had died under unknown circumstances. A direct mercury analyzer (DMA-80) was used to measure Hg, and an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) was used for the other elements. A one-way ANOVA, followed by Bonferroni's multiple comparison for post hoc analysis, was conducted to evaluate significant differences between the organ samples and different minerals and between the weight and metal levels. The statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. The study indicates that high concentrations of metals like cadmium, mercury, lead, and chromium are present in the liver, kidneys, and other organs. These elevated concentrations suggest that the local volcanic emissions contribute to soil, water, and atmospheric contamination. The data showed differences in the metal concentrations between the sexes, which could be attributed to biological and environmental factors.