Abstract

In earlier work we investigated the accumulation of cadmium (Cd) in the developing foetus and compared the movement of Cd with that of zinc (Zn) into the liver and kidney. Concentrations of Cd in foetal tissue were ex-tremely low, although there was a small flux across the placenta at about 100d of development concomitant with that for Zn. There was no relationship of foetal Cd with the Cd status of the mother. It was only after parturition that Cd concentrations in liver and kidney started to increase (Rounce et al.,1995). We also showed that the rate of Cd accumulation in weaned animals was greatest at an early age when growth rates were also at or near their peak (Lee et al.,1996). The aim of this study was to define Cd accumulation in tissues of Romney neonates, as affected by relative Cd concentrations in pasture and milk from partu-rition to weaning.

JR, Rounce, ND Grace, and JL Lee

Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production, Volume 57, , 137-138, 1997