A Baseline Study for Cadmium Concentrations in Blood of Goats in Some Communities of Bade, Northern Yobe, Nigeria

Aim: This study was carried out to evaluate levels of Cadmium (Cd) in goats as sentinels for Cd pollution in some farming communities in Bade Northern Yobe, Nigeria.

Study Design: The study was a cross sectional study.

Methodology: A total of 356 blood samples were collected from semi-intensively managed goats from 5 randomly selected wards in the study area. A total of 55 goats were sampled from Dagona, 72 from Katuzu, 78 from each of Lawan Musa and Sabon Gari and 73 from Usur/Dawayo wards. Sexes of the animals were noted during sampling. Concentration of blood cadmium was assayed using Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (GFAAS). The samples were digested using NH2:H2O2 wet digestion technique. Mean (±SEM) blood Cd concentrations of the sampled goats were 7.677±0.53, 3.835±0.47, 3.996±0.45, 2.810±0.45, and 3.314±0.46 µg/L for Dagona, Katuzu, Lawan Musa, Sabon Gari and Usur/Dawayo wards respectively. Goats from Dagona ward had significantly (P<0.05) higher mean blood Cd concentrations compared to other locations but there was no statistically significant difference in mean blood Cd levels between males and females.

Conclusion: The detection of Cd in the blood of most of the animals (99.4%) is suggestive of how widely distributed Cd is in the area and presence of Cd in blood of 349 (98.6%) goats at concentrations above the recommended normal levels of 0.185 µg/L by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) is worrisome. There is need to identify possible Cd emission sources in the study area in order to control contamination of the environment and hence minimize humans’ and animals’ exposure to the nephrotoxic metal.