J. 3 1 M 



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percent organic arsenic compounds compared to 0.15 ppm found in 

 the same organs of controls (Bucy et al. 1955). Buck et al. 

 (1976) cited a level of 10 ppm in kidney and liver tissues as 

 diagnostic of arsenic poisoning. Peoples (1964) found 0.35 ppm 

 arsenic in the kidneys of cows receiving up to 1.25 ppm arsanilic 

 acid diet and noted no toxic effects. A study by Bennett and 

 Schwartz (1971) found sheep liver arsenic levels equal to or 

 greater than 10.6 ppm in all experimental sheep that died from 

 lead arsenate poisoning. The same study also revealed that all 

 surviving sheep had liver concentrations of less than 3.8 ppm 

 arsenic. Kidney and liver tissue arsenic levels associated with 

 chronic arsenic poisoning in cattle were reported as 5.0 to 53 ppm 

 and 7.0 to 70 ppm, respectively (Puis 1981). It should be noted 

 however that under acute conditions, clinical toxicity has been 

 reported in cattle exhibiting liver arsenic concentrations as low 

 as 1.6 ppm (Dickinson 1972) and numerous clinical toxicity cases 

 have been documented in the 1.6 to 5 ppm range (Edwards and Clay 

 1979, Rosiles 1977, Knapp et al. 1977, Hatch and Funnell 1969, 

 Bergeland et al . 1976, Riviere et al . 1981). Puis (1981) reported 

 toxic levels in horse kidney at 10.0 ppm and 7.0 to 15 ppm in 

 liver. Bucy et al . (1955) noted arsenic levels in sheep kidney 

 tissue decreased rapidly following removal of arsenic from the 

 diet. Dickinson (1972) has suggested that cattle could deplete an 

 elevated kidney arsenic content to a value less than that of 

 diagnostic significance but still succumb to irreversible tubular 

 damage . 



The affinity of arsenic for sulfhydryl groups results in high 

 arsenic concentrations in sulfhydryl rich keratinized tissues such 

 as skin and hair (Riviere et al . 1981). The arsenic content of 

 hair has been used to determine exposure of humans to this element 

 (Bencko and Symon 1977). Normal levels found in cattle hair have 

 been published by Riviere et al. (1981), Dickinson (1972) and 

 Orheim et al . (1974) at values of 0.09 to 0.10 ppm 0.81 to 2.7 ppm 

 and 0.13 to 0.84 ppm, respectively. The publication of Dickinson 

 (1972) is not clear with respect to the sampling time for "before 

 treatment" results which would appear to be anomalously high at 



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