The Impact of Lead (Pb) Pollution as Result of Acid Deposition on Local Male Sheep Production

Abstract

Since the year of 2000, UNEP (United Nations of Environmental Programe) identifies that the ever increasing Carbon Dioxide (CO2), Methane (CH4) and Nitrous Oxide (N2O) have caused global warming. In addition, carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrous oxide (N2O) along with sulphure oxide (SOx) and hidrogen sulfide (H2S) gasses have caused acid deposition. In turns, this deposition can stretch out endlessly heavy metal like lead and is accumulated in roughages which makes it harmful for animal production. In the other case the meat supply is still insufficient in Indonesia. Therefore, to fulfill the supply several efforts should be carried out. One of them is by increasing sheep production which is based on the reason that goat is prolific and high litter size. Howefer this effort cannot be achieved due to the presence of acid deposition and condition which bind heavy metals such as lead. These two substances will result in the decreasing daily gain of sheep because of the Pb accumulation in liver, kidney, as well as flesh. Accordingly, this research is aimed at: a. finding out whether acid rain has taken place in Bogor Regency area and subsequently finding out the Pb content in soil and roughage in this region. b. predicting corelation Pb content between rain and soil, as well as between soil and roughage in the Bogor regency area. c. studying the acid impact and Pb in the sheep ration toward sheep daily gain and toward the Pb content in liver, kidney and flesh. The result showed that in Bogor regency area acid deposition on had taken place the dry season but not in the wet season. The Pb content both in the air and in the soil had not yet been affected by acid rain. Pb content from the soil did not affect the content in the roughage. The dry and organic matter digestibility of the acid ration is lower than that of the non-acid ration. The dry and organic matter digestibility of the Pb-ration is lower than that of the non-Pb-ration. Similarly, the VFA production of acid ration was lower than that of the non-Acid ration. On the contrary, the N-NH3 production of acid ration was higher than that of the no-acid ration. The Pb ration has higher N-NH3 production than that of the non-Pb ration. Acid ration decreased daily gain, but ration of high Pb-content did not affect the daily gain. Acid ration did not increase Pb content in the kidney but not in the liver and flesh. However, high Pb content in the ration will increase the Pb content of liver and kidney but not in the flesh.