Toxic metal levels in raw camel milk sold in the northern Algerian Sahara

ABSTRACT

The consumption of camel milk is gaining popularity in Algeria. This study aimed to determine the concentrations of Lead (Pb), Cadmium (Cd), Nickel (Ni) and Mercury (Hg) in camel milk sold in Southeast Algeria and assess the potential health risks associated with its consumption. 120 samples of camel milk were collected from 10 farms located near the roads in the south of Algeria. Metals were measured using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer with a graphite furnace and Target Hazard Quotients (THQs) were calculated. The mean concentrations were 0.026 ± 0.013 mg/kg, 0.001 ± 0.0002 mg/kg, 0.017 ± 0.002 mg/kg and 0.0005 ± 0.0002 mg/kg for Pb, Cd, Ni and Hg. The THQ was higher for children, suggesting health risks associated with consumption of camel milk for this age group (p < .001). The primary contribution of this study is the establishment of a database on toxic metal levels in camel milk, which can be valuable to manage possible risk associated with metals in milk.

KEYWORDS:

• Camel milk
• Lead
• Cadmium
• Nickel
• Mercury
• risk assessment
• food safety

Disclosure statement

The authors declared that they have no specific conflicting financial interests or personal partnerships that could have influenced the work presented in this article.

Data availability statement

The data collected and analysed for this study can be shared upon request.

Additional information

Funding

This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.