Lead, cadmium, and aluminum in raw bovine milk: Residue level, estimated intake, and fate during artisanal dairy manufacture

Amr Abd El-Moamen Amer; Hussien Sobhy Abo El-Makarem; Mahmoud Abd-Elsabor El-Maghraby; Sarah Abd-Elmohsen Abou-Alella

doi:10.5455/javar.2021.h534

Lead, cadmium, and aluminum in raw bovine milk: Residue level, estimated intake, and fate during artisanal dairy manufacture

J Adv Vet Anim Res. 2021 Sep 20;8(3):454-464. doi: 10.5455/javar.2021.h534. eCollection 2021 Sep.

Authors

Amr Abd El-Moamen Amer¹, Hussien Sobhy Abo El-Makarem¹, Mahmoud Abd-Elsabor El-Maghraby², Sarah Abd-Elmohsen Abou-Alella¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Food Hygiene and Control, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt.
² Department of Animal Husbandry and Animal Wealth Development, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt.

Abstract

Objective: The goal of this study was to determine the levels of lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and aluminum (Al) in raw bovine milk. Milk consumption was used to calculate the estimated weekly intake (EWI), provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI), and target hazard quotient (THQ) for individuals. Metal distribution in dairy products and byproducts was studied as a result of artisanal processing.

Material and methods: Seventy-five raw bovine milk samples were collected from artisanal producers in Alexandria city, West Delta, Egypt, and analyzed using the atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The effect of artisanal dairy processing on metal distribution was studied.

Results: The averages of Pb, Cd, and Al in milk samples were 45.06, 4.77, and 2.93 μg/l, with 13.33% and 1.33% of analyzed samples had Pb and Al levels higher than the permissible limits, respectively. The EWI values of Pb, Cd, and Al were 1.050, 0.111, and 0.068 μg/kg body weight, which contributed to about 4.20%, 1.59%, and 0.97% from the PTWI, respectively. The THQ of three metals was <1, which referred to safe consumption. Metal residues were heavily concentrated in artisanal cheese and yogurt after coagulation and fermentation compared with other dairy products. Accordingly, the maximum average and reduction values of Pb, Cd, and Al were 745.87, 51.99, and 71.58 μg/l and -72.87%, -56.5%, and -40.96% in Damietta cheese; 535.51, 40.11, and 62.43 μg/l and -24.11%, -20.74%, and -22.94%) in Kareish cheese; and 418.42, 31.26, and 50.66 μg/l and 3.02%, 5.90%, and 0.27% in yogurt, respectively.

Conclusions: The results indicated that consumption of raw bovine milk did not pose a risk to Alexandria citizens. Metal concentration increased in artisanal cheese and yogurt because of metal bio-gathering after coagulation and fermentation. Fat separation, churning, and boiling milk might keep metal concentration in dairy products and byproducts at lower levels than milk. Thus, they are suggested to be applied especially in highly contaminated areas.

Keywords: Artisanal processing; PTWI; THQ; bovine milk; dairy products; heavy metals.