Heavy metal concentrations in injured racehorses

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 5, 2026

Use of Autometallography to Localize and Semi-Quantify Silver in Cetacean Tissues
07:05

Use of Autometallography to Localize and Semi-Quantify Silver in Cetacean Tissues

Published on: October 4, 2018

K H Plumlee1, B Johnson, I A Gardner

  • 1California Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory System, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis 95616, USA.

Veterinary and Human Toxicology
|June 1, 1996
PubMed

Insights

Heavy metal concentrations in horse tissues varied by age and breed, with kidney iron levels higher in horses with specific bone and ligament injuries. These findings may inform equine health and safety protocols.

Area of Science:

  • Equine Sports Medicine
  • Toxicology
  • Veterinary Pathology

Background:

  • Fatal injuries in racehorses are a significant concern in equine sports.
  • Understanding potential contributing factors, including trace element levels, is crucial for improving safety.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between heavy metal concentrations in equine tissues and fatal racing injuries.
  • To identify potential correlations between specific metals, injury types, age, and breed.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective review of fatal racing injuries in horses over a 16-month period in California.
  • Categorization of horses by injury type, sex, age, and breed.
  • Measurement of arsenic, cadmium, copper, iron, lead, molybdenum, and zinc concentrations in liver and kidney tissues.

Main Results:

  • Kidney iron concentrations were significantly higher in horses with ligament ruptures and fractures of the sesamoid, carpus, or metacarpus/metatarsus.
  • Liver cadmium, kidney cadmium, and liver iron levels were elevated in horses older than 2 years compared to younger horses.
  • Thoroughbreds exhibited higher liver cadmium concentrations than Quarter Horses.

Conclusions:

  • Kidney iron levels may be associated with specific types of fatal musculoskeletal injuries in racehorses.
  • Age and breed appear to influence heavy metal accumulation in equine tissues, particularly cadmium and iron.
  • Further research is warranted to explore the role of trace elements in racehorse injury pathogenesis.

More Related Videos

Removal of Trace Elements by Cupric Oxide Nanoparticles from Uranium In Situ Recovery Bleed Water and Its Effect on Cell Viability09:23

Removal of Trace Elements by Cupric Oxide Nanoparticles from Uranium In Situ Recovery Bleed Water and Its Effect on Cell Viability

Published on: June 21, 2015

Related Concept Videos

The Periodic Table and Organismal Elements01:27

The Periodic Table and Organismal Elements

Elements are the smallest units of matter that cannot be broken down further by chemical processes. There are 118 known elements, but not all of these are naturally occurring, and only a few of them are essential for life. Living matter is composed primarily of carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen, and oxygen, with smaller amounts of other elements like calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and sulfur. Other elements are also necessary for life but only in trace amounts.
Periodic Table Provides Information...
The Periodic Table and Organismal Elements00:57

The Periodic Table and Organismal Elements

Elements are the smallest units of matter that cannot be broken down further by chemical processes. There are 118 known elements, but not all of these are naturally-occurring, and fewer still are essential for life. Living matter is composed primarily of carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen, and oxygen, with smaller amounts of other elements like calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and sulfur. Other elements are also necessary for life but only in trace amounts.The Periodic Table Provides Information about...
Cellular Injury II: Classification01:21

Cellular Injury II: Classification

Cellular injury is any process that disrupts a cell’s ability to maintain homeostasis, leading to structural or functional changes. It is broadly classified based on etiology (cause) and mechanism of damage.Classification by EtiologyCellular injury may result from several causes. Hypoxic injury happens due to reduced oxygen delivery, most commonly from inadequate blood supply, such as arterial obstruction; for example, coronary artery thrombosis can cause myocardial infarction. Chemical injury...
Hepatic Encephalopathy01:29

Hepatic Encephalopathy

DefinitionHepatic encephalopathy is a reversible neurologic syndrome that results from advanced liver dysfunction or portosystemic shunting. It leads to disturbances in cognition, behavior, and motor function due to the brain’s exposure to gut-derived toxins that the liver fails to detoxify.EtiologyThis condition develops either in the setting of acute fulminant hepatitis or progressively during chronic liver disease, such as cirrhosis and portal hypertension. Portosystemic shunting—including...