Effect of the diet amended with risk elements contaminated soil on risk elements content in tissues and hematological parameters of rats

Penetration of rat organisms by risk elements (As, Cd, Pb) originated from differently contami- nated soils as well as interactions between the risk elements and selected essential macro- and microelements were investigated. Rat diet contained 10% of individual soils (based on dry weight) which were: (i) Fluvisol heavily polluted by As, Cd, Zn, and Pb, (ii) Luvisol contaminated by As, Cd, and Zn, and (iii) uncontami- nated Chernozem. Male Wistar rats used for the experiment were housed in cages in a room with controlled temperature for 60 days and fed ad libitum on the mentioned diet. The levels of both risk and essential elements were measured in liver, kidney, and bones of the animals and main biochemical parameters were determined to assess potential toxic effect of the soil-derived risk elements. Alternatively, in vitro Physio- logically Based Bioavailability Test (PBET) was used for evaluation of the bioaccessible pool of elements in the soil-amended diets. The element contents in the rat tissues reflected the risk element contents in the contaminated soils. Bioaccessibility and bioavailability of the risk elements decreased in the order Cd > As > Pb and were influenced by the soil physicochemical parameters. Significant changes in essential elements (Cu, Fe, Mg, P) deposition in rat tissues attended the high levels of the risk elements. Total leukocyte count in the blood of the rats fed the heavy polluted soil indicated adverse effect of soil-derived risk elements on biochemical parameters of the animals.