Assessing the risk of heavy metals contamination in milk from Pakistan

ZH Shar 1, *, OP Pirhot 1, HH Shar 2 and MK Channa 3

1 Dr. M.A Kazi Institute of Chemistry, University of Sindh, Jamshoro, Pakistan.
2 National Center of excellence in analytical chemistry, University of Sindh, Jamshoro, Pakistan.
3 Institute of Chemistry, Shah Abdul Latif University, Khairpur, Sindh, Pakistan.
 
Research Article
International Journal of Science and Research Archive, 2021, 03(01), 107–113.
Article DOI: 10.30574/ijsra.2021.3.1.0114
Publication history: 
Received on 03 July 2021; revised on 18 August 2021; accepted on 20 August 2021
 
Abstract: 
Milk is an essential component of human food, and natural source of many important elements. Besides essential elements it is also became a source of toxic metals due to heavy environmental pollution. In order to assess the essential metals (calcium) and toxic metals (cadmium and lead) in milk, sixty different fresh milk samples were analyzed by using atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS). Accuracy and precession were checked by external standard addition method. Calcium was found in all samples with highest concentration (24µg/L) in camel milk. Lead was found in all milk samples with mean level 3.14µg/L and highest concentration found in packed milk sample 6.7µg/L. Cadmium was detected in 33% of total samples analyzed with range of (1.1-3.1µg/L). Results of this study will be helpful in setting the standards in one of the most consumed commodities in Pakistan.
 
Keywords: 
Toxic metals; Milk; Flame atomic absorption spectroscopy; Acid digestion
 
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