Toxicity to beef cattle of sulfur in saline well water: a case study.

A disorder diagnosed as polioencephalomalacia occurred in yearling Hereford heifers, but not in mature cows, within 2 months of exposure to saline well water. The physiological effects of the disorder matched most of the symptoms for bovine polioencephalomalacia. The water contained 3875 mg l-1 total dissolved salts, sulfate and sodium being the dominant ions. Calculated daily sulfur and sodium intakes were near the upper limit of their range for recommended maximum tolerance level. Sulfur toxicity was implicated as the causative agent for the disorder. Differences in effect of waters with similar sulfur contents were attributed to the total dietary sulfur intake by the cattle rather than to the saline water alone. Established guidelines for saline drinking water were deemed not applicable when fodder from saline land is supplied to or grazed by cattle.