ENVIRONMENT AND HEALTH Evaluation of the Toxicity of Alum (Aluminum Sulfate) in Young Broiler Chickens 1 W. E. HUFF,2 P. A. MOORE, JR., J. M. BALOG, G. R. BAYYARI, and N. C. RATH USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Poultry Production and Product Safety Research Unit, Poultry Science Center, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701 ABSTRACT Two experiments were conducted to characterize the toxicity and evaluate the efficacy of alum to increase intestinal strength in young broiler chicks. Cobb x Cobb male broiler chicks were placed in an experimental design consisting of six dietary treat- ments of alum (control, 0.23, 0.47, 0.93, 1.9, and 3.7%) with four replicate pens of 10 broilers per pen. The chicks were housed in electrically heated batteries and provided the treatments for ad libitum consumption from 1 d to 3 wk of age. Alum significantly (P < 0.05) decreased body weights at 1.9 and 3.7% in Experiment 1 and at 0.93, 1.9, and 3.7% in Experiment 2. Feed conversion and the relative weight of the gizzard were increased in both experiments at 3.7%. Serum phospho- INTRODUCTION There is growing concern over the environmental impact of the intensive and geographically concentrated poultry industry. One of the major environmental issues is the agronomic practice of land application of poultry litter. The value and the application rate of poultry litter, when used as fertilizer, is based on its nitrogen content. However, poultry litter has a relatively low nitrogen to phosphorus ratio, which can result in phosphorus loading of the land. Studies have shown that high phosphorus concentrations can be present in runoff of pastures fertilized with poultry litter (Edwards and Daniel, 1992a,b, 1993). Phosphorus runoff is a concern because it is the primary element that accelerates eutrophication of freshwater (Schindler, 1977). When poultry litter is treated with alum [A1 2 (S0 4 ) 3 -16 H 2 0] and used to fertilize test plots, phosphorus runoff can be reduced by as much as 87% (Moore and Miller, 1994; Shreve et al., 1995). Alum has also been demonstrated to Received for publication November 27, 1995. Accepted for publication August 27, 1996. x Mention of a trade name, proprietary product, or specific equipment does not constitute a guarantee or warranty by the USDA and does not imply its approval to the exclusion of other products that may be suitable. 2 To whom correspondence should be addressed. rus was decreased at 1.9 and 3.7% in Experiment 1 and at 3.7% in Experiment 2. Intestinal and bone strength were decreased in both experiments at 3.7%. Bone ash was reduced at 3.7% in Experiment 2, bone S levels increased at 1.9 and 3.7% in Experiment 1 and at 3.7% in Experiment 2, and bone Al levels were elevated in both experiments at 3.7%. Muscle levels of P and S decreased, and that of Ca increased at 3.7%. Aluminum levels were not elevated in muscle tissues. These data indicate that alum can be toxic to young broiler chicks, but at levels that would not be expected to be reached through litter consumption, and that alum did not increase intestinal strength. 1996 Poultry Science 75:1359-1364 be an effective poultry litter treatment to reduce ammonia volatilization and increase weight gains (Moore et al, 1995). At this time, alum is being recommended (100 g alum/kg litter) to be used to treat poultry litter after the first flock of birds are removed from the house grown on fresh litter and after every additional flock until the litter is removed from the house (Moore et al., 1995). Aluminum is a ubiquitous environmental element; however, ingestion of high levels of aluminum have been shown to be toxic to chickens (Storer and Nelson, 1968). Given the possibility that alum will be used as a litter treatment, and because poultry consume litter, these studies were undertaken to characterize the toxicity of alum to young broiler chickens, and to determine whether aluminum accumulates in muscle tissues. An additional objective of these studies was to determine whether alum would increase intestinal strength given its properties as an astringent. MATERIALS AND METHODS Two identical studies were conducted using 240 Cobb x Cobb male broiler chicks purchased from a local hatchery. The chicks were randomly assigned within an experimental design that consisted of six dietary treat- ments of alum, with four replicate pens containing 10 {Key words: alum, aluminum sulfate, toxicity, intestinal strength, broiler) 1359 Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/ps/article-abstract/75/11/1359/1600823 by guest on 30 July 2018