Public health evaluation of cadmium concentrations in liver and kidney of moose (Alces alces) from four areas of Alaska

Liver and/or kidney samples were collected from 139 hunter-killed moose from four areas of Alaska during 1986. The concentration of cadmium in organ tissue was determined by direct-current plasma atomic emission spectrometry. All results are reported as μg/g wet weight. Concentrations of cadmium in liver ranged from 0.06 μg/g to 9.0 μg/g; in the kidney cortex they ranged from 0.10 μg/g to 65.7 μg/g. Cadmium levels were significantly associated with location and age. The highest geometric mean liver (2.11 μg/g) and kidney cortex (20.2 μg/g) cadmium concentrations were detected in moose harvested near Galena, Alaska. Limited dietary information from Alaska and Canada indicates that the intake of moose liver or kidney does not exceed, in most individuals, the World Health Organization recommendations for weekly cadmium consumption of 400 μg to 500 μg. Additionally, human biomonitoring data from Canada and Alaska indicate exposure to cadmium is low except for individuals who smoke cigarettes. Given the nutritional and cultural value of subsistence foods, the Alaska Division of Public Health continues to support the consumption of moose liver and kidney as part of a well-balanced diet. Human biomonitoring studies are needed in Alaska to determine actual cadmium exposure in populations with a lifelong history of moose liver and kidney consumption.