Evaluation of Heavy Metals Concentration in Milk Products by using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy

Abstract

Milk products are essential food in the human diet because it contains many essential trace minerals such as calcium, magnesium, copper, zinc, sodium, potassium and phosphorous. The utilization of, milk is increasing at a large scale throughout the world. It is essential to maintain the good quality of milk during production and manufacturing because the presence of toxic metals in the milk becomes the cause of health disturbance in human life. Therefore, the present investigation was carried out to determine concentrations of lead, nickel, iron, copper, and chromium in powdered milk and fresh milk products by Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy. Different milk samples of products (two fresh milks and two powdered milks) were purchased from the local market. For the decomposition of the organic substances in milk samples, wet digestion was used with a mixture of nitric acid and sulfuric acid in volume proportions 1:3 (v/v). The analytical curve for all metals covered the linear range from 0.5 to 4.0 ppm with correlation coefficients higher than 0.9994. The limit of detection (LOD) for Pb, Ni, Fe, Cu, and Cr were found to be 0.25, 0.023, 0.012, 0.0067, and 0.073 ppm, respectively. While the limit of quantification (LOQ) in the range of 0.02 to 0.76 ppm. Of all the metals determined, Pb, Ni, and Fe were the most abundant with concentrations between 1.233 and 1.677 ppm while Cr was not detected in all the samples. The results showed that fresh milk samples have a higher concentration of heavy metals compared to powdered milk samples.

A Comparative Study on the Bioavailability and Soil-to-Plant Transfer Factors of Potentially Toxic Element Contamination in Agricultural Soils and Their Impacts: A Case Study of Dense Farmland in the Western Region of Saudi Arabia

“…In leafy green plant samples, the average Cu content was below the recommended permissible limit (73 mg/kg) set by the FAO/WHO. In this study, the average Cu level was lower than the reported value (32.45 mg/kg) in Gamo, Ethiopia [63]. According to the WHO and FAO, the values of Cu and Cr contents in vegetables should not exceed 30 mg/kg.…”

“…Table 1 demonstrates the levels of trace elements in leaves, shoots, and roots of the four vegetables analyzed in the study area. Vegetables can absorb elements from soil, which can be deposited on parts of vegetables exposed to the air in contaminated environments [63]. The average levels of the trace elements in different organs of leafy green plants (coriander, parsley, arugula, and dill) were successfully compared with the permissible levels set by the FAO/WHO [4], as summarized in Table 1.…”

Impact of Arieş River Contaminants on Algae and Plants

“…The results varied significantly across plant species and sampling sites, exerting a substantial influence on the plants' absorption capacity as previously discussed. Generally, the results showed that vegetables contained high concentrations of metals [67]. This explains the high concentration of metals found in plant samples from aqueous ecosystems that are continuously exposed to heavy metal pollution.…”

The investigation of the presence of heavy metals and evaluation of their concentration level in forage grasses (Bracharia) at a dairy farm

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