This experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of cadmium levels on weight gain, nutrient digestibility and the retention of iron, copper and zinc in tissues of growing pigs. A total of one hundred and ninety-two crossbred pigs (barrows, Duroc×Landrace×Yorkshine, 27.67±1.33 kg of average initial body weight) were randomly allotted to four treatments. Each treatment had three replicates with 16 pigs per pen. The corn-soybean basal diets were supplemented with 0, 0.5, 5.0, 10.0 mg/kg

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... ium respectively, and the feeding experiment lasted for eight-three days. Cadmium chloride was used as cadmium source. The results showed that pigs fed the diet containing 10.0 mg/kg cadmium had lower ADG and FCR than any other treatments (p<0.05). Apparent digestibility of protein in 10.0 mg/kg cadmium-treated group was lower than that of other groups (p<0.05). There was lower iron retention in some tissues of 5.0 mg/kg and 10.0 mg/kg cadmium treatments (p<0.05). However, pigs fed the diet 10.0 mg/kg cadmium had higher copper content in most tissues than that of any other groups (p<0.05). There was a significantly increase of zinc retention in kidney of 10.0 mg/kg cadmium additional group (p<0.05) and zinc concentrations in lymphaden, pancreas and heart of 10.0 mg/kg cadmium treatment were lower than those of the control (p<0.05). This study indicated that relatively high cadmium level (10.0 mg/kg) could decrease pig growth performance and change the retention of iron, copper and zinc in most tissues during extended cadmium exposure period. (Asian-Aust.