HAZARDS ASSESSMENT OF [ • ORGANOCHLORINE COMPOUNDS AND HEAVY METALS ON MAMMALS

Abstract

The present experiments were carried out at the Nuobaria Station, Animal Production Research Institute, Agriculture Research Center, Ministry of Agriculture; and Bioenergetics & Hormone Laboratories, Department of Environmental Studies, Institute of Graduate Studies and Research, Alexandria University. The aim ofihis study was to investigate the effect of lindane, zinc (as zinc chloride) and their • combination on productive performance, hematological and biochemical parameters, histopathological of liver, kidney and testes, and semen quality of growing male New Zealand White rabbits. The obtained data can be summarized as follows:

1- Lindane and the combination of lindane and zinc treatment caused a significant decline (P<0.05) in digestibility coefficients, nutritive value, nitrogen utilization, metabolizable energy (ME) values, growth performance index, PI (%), live body weight, dry matter intake and feed efficiency compared to the control animals. While, treatment with zinc alone did not cause any effects on the above parameters. 2- Lindane and the combination of lindane and zinc treatment caused a significant increased (P<0.05) in drinking water, but zinc treatment caused a significant decrease. 3- Lindane and the combination of lindane and zinc treatment caused a significant increased (P<0.05) in the relative weights ofliver, kidney, lung, spleen and heart. But brain, testes and bladder were decreased (P<0.05) during treatment with lindane and their combination.