In the desert, camel rearing is an important cultural fact. In the present paper, 240 Arabian camels from Emirates were sampled for the determination of trace elements and different heavy metals. The following elements were tested: copper, zinc, iron, aluminium, arsenic, boron, barium, cobalt, chromium, cadmium, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, selenium, strontium and lead. The variation factors included age, sex and physiological status. On the average, the mineral contents were 190.3 µg/100 ml (iron), 60.1 µg/100 ml (copper), 44.0 µg/100 ml (strontium), 22.5 µg/100 ml (arsenic), 20.0 µg/100 ml (zinc), 19.7 µg/100 ml (selenium), 19.3 µg/100 ml (boron) and 14.6 µg/100 ml (barium). Other minerals like aluminium (3.7 µg/100 ml), molybdenum (2.9 µg/100 ml), chromium (2.0 µg/100 ml), nickel (1.8 µg/100 ml), lead (1.5 µg/100 ml), manganese (0.16 µg/100 ml), cobalt (0.08 µg/100 ml) and cadmium (0.07 µg/100 ml) were in very small concentration. Age, sex and physiological effects were assessed for some parameters. According to the lack of references in camel species, it is difficult to link those results to polluting context. But those data could contribute to understand the heavy metal status in camel confronted to pollution. (Résumé d'auteur)

Since its independence in 1991, Kazakhstan is in a state of "ecological crises", due to the specific place for nuclear test by soviet government for long time, and to the development of irrigation for field cottons linked with decreasing Aral Sea level. In addition the manufacturing of metals and the minerals had some impact on environmental contamination. In the South of Kazakhstan, eight farms were sampled close to probable pollution sources. Samples of camel milk, fodder and water were collected in each farm and analyzed for copper, iron, manganese, zinc, arsenic and lead. The mean content in fodder of Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn, As and Pb was 10.40 ± 2.93, 793.69 ± 630.48, 62.38 ± 20.67, 32.95 ± 27.15, 1.03 ± 0.49 and 4.28 ± 9.60 ppm respectively. In camel milk mean content of these heavy metals was respectively of 0.07 ± 0.04, 1.48 ± 0.53, 0.08 ± 0.03, 5.16 ± 2.17, <0.1, and 0.025 ± 0.02 ppm respectively. No heavy metals were detected in samples of water with the analytical methods used. The relationships between heavy metals in water, forages and milk were not clear. Some information's are lacking. We need to extend sampling at more areas where camels, cows, goat and sheep farms are closed to pollution areas, and analyzed other heavy metals suspected in pollution process.