Metal concentrations in different body parts of saudi lambs

Muscle, liver, kidney, heart, and intestine samples of three type of lambs (Australian, Syrian and Najdi) were collected from Dammam slaughter house. The samples were wet digested in HNO₃--HClO₄ mixture. Concentrations of 23 metals were determined in the digestates using an inductively coupled argon plasma analyzer. Copper, iron, manganese and zinc preferably accumulated in liver, Ca, Na, and Cd was high in kidney, and K, P, and Mg were concentrated in muscle tissues. Significantly higher concentrations of Cu were found in the liver tissue (21.8 to 160.6 mg kg^-1) of Australian lamb. On the whole, Australian lamb contained more of Cu and Fe than other lambs. Frequent consumption of Australian lamb liver might induce Cu toxicity. Molybdenum concentrations in the lamb liver and kidney were about 5 times higher than those found in the muscle tissue. Concentrations of As, Ba, Pb, Se, Sn, Ti, and V were below the detection limits of ICAP.