The aim of the work was to estimate the content of certain metals in goat's milk. The content of lead, cadmium, iron, copper, zinc, manganese and magnesium was determined using atomic absorption spectrometry. It was found that highly toxic elements [Pb, Cd] appeared in both raw and pasteurised goat's milk in amounts not exceeding the polish standard. Goat's milk coming from highly industrialised regions demonstrated higher lead content than milk from agricultural regions. The copper and zinc contents in examined raw and pasteurised goat's milk were well under the polish standard.

The aim of the experiments was to determine some metals in fresh milk. The content of lead and cadmium in cow's milk from 4 dairy centres situated in various distances from the iron and steel works "Lenin" in Nowa Huta, a part of Cracow, was about ten times bigger than in milk from the control region (an agricultural area far from industrial influences). In many cases milk contains the upper admissible limit of lead and is questionable from the point of view of toxicology.

The aim of the researches was the determination of the lead, cadmium, iron, copper and zinc content in selected food products available in everyday life in the city of Cracow. It was found that all food products contain lead and cadmium contaminations. The trace element content in the Polish food products was within the range of values obtained by other authors.

Vegetables from allotment gardens in the area of Kraków, from the trade (produced at a distance of about 25 km from Kraków), and from farms situated about 100 km from Kraków (control samples) were investigated by atom absorption spectroscopy. In the vegetables from the allotment gardens the levels of the determined elements were on an average several times higher (p less than 0.01) than that of the controls. In a few cases the maximum levels of some elements were near the admissible limit. Furthermore, Pb, Cd, Cu, Zn, and Fe were determined in pigs and cattle (muscle, kidney, liver). The average levels of Pb and Cd gave no reason for objection.

The aim of the investigations was the determination of the lead, cadmium, copper, iron, zinc and magnesium content in some vegetables in an industrial region (Cracow) and in an agricultural region far from industrial centres (control). It was found that all the vegetables analysed contained lead and cadmium contaminations. The average lead concentration in parsley-haulm and parsley-root and cadmium concentration in beets, onion, parsley-haulm, leek, lettuce and potatoes coming from the Cracow region exceeded the permissible norm. In the vegetables from the Cracow region the levels of the determined trace elements were higher (P < 0.01) than that of the controls.