Wild boars (Sus scrofa) as bioindicators of environmental levels of selenium in Poland

The objective of the study was to determine selenium content in selected organs (liver, kidney) of wild boars from different regions of Poland. Materials for the study were obtained from 28 sites located in 16 provinces of Poland. Selenium concentrations in organs were determined using spectrofluorometric methods after wet mineralization in HNO3 and HClO4 mixture. Mean selenium concentrations in the investigated wild boars from Poland were 0.230 mu g/g wet weight in the liver and 1.327 mu g/g w.w. in the kidneys. Hepatic and nephric Se concentrations ranged from 0.036-0.626 nig w.w. and 0.322-4.286 mu g/g w.w., respectively. Selenium concentrations in the wild boars differed considerably according to geographical location. Concentrations of selenium were highest in wild boars from south-eastern provinces and lowest in animals from northern provinces. Most of Poland's area is environmentally deficient in this trace element, as evidenced by marginal selenium levels in the organs of the wild boars.