Heavy metal concentrations in hair of newly imported China-origin rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta)

Macaque monkeys are good sentinel to humans for environmental pollutions because their similarities in genetic and physiological characteristics. So, their reference values about exposures to heavy metals are required for proper data interpretation. Here, we report several heavy metals concentrations in the hair of rhesus monkeys which are widely used in biomedical research. The hair of 28 imported rhesus monkeys from an animal farm in southwest China were examined for the presence of eight heavy metals (Arsenic, Beryllium, Cadmium, Chromium, Iron, Lead, Mercury, and Selenium). The analyzed data in parts per million (ppm) for hair concentrations of heavy metals in rhesus monkeys were as follow: As (0.654±0.331), Be (0.005±0.003), Cd (0.034±0.022), Cr (11.329±4.259), Fe (87.106±30.114), Pb (0.656±0.613), Hg (0.916±0.619), and Se (3.200±0.735). The concentrations of Be, Cr, and As showed significant higher in females than in males (P<0.05). We present here the reference values of several heavy metals in healthy China-origin rhesus monkeys. These data may provide valuable information for veterinarians and investigators using rhesus monkeys in experimental studies.