Heavy Metal Concentrations in Biofluid Samples and their Correlation to Metabolic Syndrome

The goal of this project was to determine if toxic metals such as Cr, Mn, As, Ni, Cd, and Pb are stored in the adipose tissue of farm animals, in particular swine. To detect these trace elements, a method of extraction and detection using ICP-MS was developed on the kidney samples obtained from local slaughterhouses, as no method currently existed for analyzing a panel of toxic metals in porcine tissue. Sample preparation was extremely time consuming, as each kidney was homogenized, and samples from each kidney were digested using a combination of nitric acid, hydrogen peroxide, and heat. The study samples were also compared to a kidney sample taken from a pig raised in a controlled lab environment. While less than 30 ppb of As was observed in the samples, an average of 116 ppb of Pb was observed. This value is 13.7 times higher than the Pb concentration found in control tissue samples. Additionally, while an average of only 24.1 ppb of As was found in the samples, the control tissue had an average of 8.66 ppb. Levels exceeding 5000ppb of Mn were observed; however, this was attributed to the excretion of Mo in urine by the kidney, a significant interference of Mn. Through this study, a validated method was determined, which can then be adapted to test additional types of tissue samples, including swine liver, subcutaneous fat, and fleed fat samples that have already been obtained. By testing different organs, this study will determine the locations with the highest concentrations of toxic metals. This data could then be applied to human studies, to determine if humans are accumulating these toxic metals in a similar manner. The indigestion of toxic metals in human issue has been associated with oxidative stress, part of the pathogenesis of diabetes. With 12% of NC residents currently afflicted with Type II diabetes, this data is vital for lowering the risk of diabetes in rural farming communities