Comprehensive Profiling of Essential Elements and Organic and Inorganic Contaminants in Dromedary Camels from the Canary Islands: A Baseline for Nutritional and Environmental Assessment
by
, , , , , ,
Andrea Acosta-Dacal
1,†
,
Adrián Melián Henríquez
1,2,†, 
Juan Alberto Corbera
1,2
,
Ana Macías-Montes
1,
Manuel Zumbado
1,3,
Norberto Ruiz-Suárez
1,
José Luis Martín-Barrasa
4,5,6,7,
Octavio P. Luzardo
1,3 and 
María Teresa Tejedor-Junco
1,* 1
Research Institute of Biomedical and Health Sciences (IUIBS), Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Paseo Blas Cabrera Felipe “Físico” 17, 35016 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
2
Hospital Clínico Veterinario, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (HCV-ULPGC), Campus Universitario de Arucas, 35413 Arucas, Spain
3
Spanish Biomedical Research Centre in Physiopathology of Obesity and Nutrition (CIBERObn), 28029 Madrid, Spain
4
Research Unit of the Hospital Universitario of Gran Canaria Dr. Negrín, Fundación Canaria del Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Canarias (FIISC), C. Pl. Barranco de la Ballena s/n, 35019 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
5
IUSA-ONE HEALTH 2—Sanidad Animal de la Acuicultura y Especies Silvestres, Enfermedades Infecciosas y Seguridad Alimentaria, University Institute of Animal Health and Food Safety (IUSA), University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35416 Arucas, Spain
6
Eukaryotic-Prokaryotic Synergy—Comparative and Translational Medicine (Cardiorespiratory Infectious Diseases and Epidemiology Group), Fundación Canaria del Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Canarias (FIISC), 35012 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
7
CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
These authors contributed equally to this work.
Vet. Sci. 2025, 12(9), 829; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci12090829
Submission received: 15 July 2025
/
Revised: 26 August 2025
/
Accepted: 27 August 2025
/
Published: 29 August 2025
(This article belongs to the Section Veterinary Biomedical Sciences)
Simple Summary
Serum biomonitoring is increasingly used to characterize the chemical footprint of husbandry systems with low intensification. Dromedary camels managed under semi-extensive conditions in the Canary Islands offer a unique model linking animal health, food chain surveillance, and the surrounding environment. Here, we provide a broad, field-applicable serum baseline for essential/macroelements and toxic elements, together with a comprehensive multi-residue screening of organic contaminants. Rather than assessing regulatory compliance, our goal is to deliver practical reference information for veterinarians and producers and to support future One Health monitoring in camel herds.
Abstract
Dromedary camels raised under semi-extensive management can act as One Health sentinels for environmental exposures and food chain surveillance, yet serum reference information remains scarce. Our objective was to provide the most comprehensive assessment to date of physiological and toxicological serum profiles in dromedary camels (Camelus dromedarius) from the Canary Islands. We included 114 clinically healthy animals of different sex, age, and reproductive status. Serum samples were analyzed for essential, toxic, and potentially toxic elements using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). In addition, a high-throughput multi-residue method based on QuEChERS extraction followed by UHPLC-MS/MS and GC-MS/MS was used to screen for 360 organic compounds, including pesticides, veterinary drugs, human pharmaceuticals, and persistent organic pollutants. Essential elements showed biologically consistent variations according to sex, age group, and pregnancy status. Males had higher levels of selenium and copper, while calves showed elevated concentrations of manganese and zinc. Pregnant females exhibited lower iron, zinc, and selenium levels, consistent with increased fetal demand. These results provide preliminary reference values for healthy camels, stratified by physiological status. In contrast, classical toxic elements such as arsenic, mercury, lead, and cadmium were found at very low or undetectable concentrations. Several potentially toxic elements, including barium, strontium, and rare earth elements, were detected sporadically but without toxicological concern. Only 13 organic compounds (3.6%) were detected in any sample, and concentrations were consistently low. The most prevalent was the PAH acenaphthene (55.3%), followed by the fungicide procymidone and the PAH fluorene. Notably, no residues of the usually detected 4,4′-DDE or PCB congeners were found in any sample. These findings confirm the low environmental and dietary exposure of camels under low-intensity farming systems and highlight their value as sentinel species for food safety and environmental monitoring.
