Determination of elements in raw and industrial milks from Tehran city

Abstract

Considering the toxic and side effects of elements in the environment and food chain, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the amount of elements in milk samples supplied in Tehran city. In this study, some elements (As, Cd, Pb, Hg, Zn, Cu, Cr, Co, Fe, and Ni) were determined in milk samples after acid digestion, by using the Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES) technique. The mean and range of concentration for As, Hg, Cd, Co, Pb, Cr, Ni, Cu, Fe, and Zn in milk samples was reported as 0.01 (0.0–1), 0.2 (0–1.14), 0.34 (0.0–7.18), 0.79 (0–43.41), 16.89 (0–628.02), 23.11 (17.75–42.72), 23.50 (8.46–160.27), 281.15 (15.83–1544.71), 535.92 (109.80–3821.21), and 1430.23 (320.71–3011.77) ppb, respectively. In all the samples, Zn had the highest mean (1430 ppb), which was lower than the standard limit of China and Brazil, and arsenic had the lowest mean (0.01 ppb). In raw milks, the mean concentration of Pb was 27.28 ppb, which was higher than the permissible limit of the national standards of Iran, the Codex Commission, and the European Union (20 ppb). Based on the Monte Carlo simulation results, the hazard index (HI) and ILCR related to exposure to multiple toxic metals via milk for adults were 1.53E–02 and 1.08E–5; and for children and adults, 5.29E–02, and 3.83–5, respectively. Therefore, there was no significant non-carcinogenic or carcinogenic risk from milk consumption. The findings of the research showed that the concentration of other metals in raw and industrial milks was below the permissible limit of the national standard of Iran. Therefore, it seems necessary to monitor the contaminants in the food chain and high-consumption foods such as dairy products to ensure food safety and consumer health.