A survey on the lead contents of feedstuffs produced in Korea

Present study was undertaken in order to evaluate the lead contents of various feedstuffs produced in Korea and the effect of the burning of gasoline by automobiles on the lead contents. Ninty-one samples near and 95 far road were collected from 9 regions(Do). All of the samples were washed, dry-ashed and analyzed for lead content using atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The mean values obtained were checked for significance of difference using computer. The lead content in micro g/g of agriculture-byproducts were measured with the following mean values and ranges (in parenthesis). Rice bran:2.07+-1.67 (0-5.00), rice hull : 1.84+-1.18 (0-3.71), rice straw:1.27+-1.09(0-3.62), soybean pod; 4.55+-3.13 (1.13+-10.43), and wheat bran: 1.69+-0.86 (0-3.65). The lead content in micro g/g of pasture plants were measured with the following mean values and ranges. Kudzu:2.71+-1.74 (0.38+-8.75), leed: 2.03+-1.61 (0-4.54), lespedeza:4.73+-5.93 (0-31.25), sagebrush: 4.08+-3.75 (0-12.18), Korean-grass: 2.11+-1.38 (0-5.50), maizestalk: 2.62+-2.35 (0-8.65), clover: 3.83+-2.97 (0-12.19), alfalfa: 7.14+-0.97 (4.46-9.25), and timothy: 5.86+-4.79 (0-9.25). Fourteen samples (22.2%) out of 63 agriculture-byproduct samples and 42 (34.2%) out of 123 pasture plant samples showed lead content of more than 3 micro g/g which are said to be the upper limit value for cattle. No significant difference between the mean lead contents of near road, and those of far road was recorgnized. The regional mean values for all kinds of samples collected in Kyungbuk and Kyungnam were significantly (p0.05, p0.10) higher compared to those in Chungnam and Chejudo. From these results it may be concluded that the buring of gasoline by automobiles did not affect the lead contentes of washed feedstuffs produced in Korea at present