Lead and cadmium in raw buffalo, cow and ewe milk from west Azerbaijan, Iran

Abstract

In this study, 300 raw buffalo, cow and ewe milk samples from five townships in west Azerbaijan, Iran, were analysed. Lead and cadmium were determined using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Mean concentration of lead and cadmium in buffalo milk samples was 0.018 ± 0.001 and 0.003 ± 0.001 mg/kg, respectively. Mean concentration of lead and cadmium in cow milk samples was 0.007 ± 0.001 and 0.001 ± 0.001 mg/kg, respectively, and in ewe milk, these mean values were 0.010 ± 0.001 and 0.002 ± 0.001 mg/kg, respectively. Statistical analyses showed that lead and cadmium concentrations in buffalo milk were significantly higher than those in cow and ewe milk. Moreover, the concentration of these heavy metals in ewe milk was significantly higher than that in cow milk. It was also found that concentration of these selected toxic metals in milk increased with increasing age of the animals.

Keywords:

• lead
• cadmium
• milk
• buffalo
• cow
• ewe
• Iran

Acknowledgements

The authors thank Mr Ghasemi, Medical Toxicology Research Center Laboratory, for his assistance in chemical analysis of the samples. The authors gratefully acknowledge the help of Zeinab Kazemi, who proofread the manuscript. This study is complying with the current laws of Iran. The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.