Abstract
Milk can be considered as an indicator of the degree of environmental contamination of the place where it is produced and this is especially important when assessing its content in toxic metals. Therefore, 36 bovine milk samples from 7 farms with a semi-extensive grazing system were analysed, located in Asturias (Spain), in an area with high probability of being highly contaminated due to a mining zone, with important industrial activity and near high-density highway traffic. The samples were lyophilised to achieve total dehydration, further analysed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The metals titrated were aluminium (Al), arsenic (As), molybdenum (Mo) and mercury (Hg) in the lyophilised samples and subsequently extrapolated their values to whole milk. All samples analysed showed levels of Al and Mo above the limit of detection, with mean values of Al of 140.89 ± 157.07 in liquid milk and 1065.76 ± 1073.45 in lyophilised milk and Mo of 20.72 ± 14.61 μg/kg and 152.26 ± 96.82 μg/kg in whole and lyophilised milk. Only As was detected in four samples with mean values of 18.45 ± 6.89 and 166.45 ± 42.30 μg/kg in liquid and lyophilised milk, respectively, and no Hg was found in any of them. In no case do the values found indicate a significant hazard to the population and are in agreement with those found in other investigations. Although the various anthropogenic activities of the area (industrial, mining, traffic density) could, a priori, indicate a possibly contaminated area.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abollino O, Aceto M, Bruzzoniti MC, Mentaste E, Sarzanini C (1998) Speciation of copper and manganese in milk by solid-phase extraction/inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry. Anal Chim Acta 375:299–306. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0003-2670(98)00298-0
Anastasio A, Caggiano R, Macchiato M, Paolo C, Ragosta M, Paino S, Cortesi ML (2006) Heavy metal concentrations in dairy products from sheep milk collected in two regions of southern Italy. Acta Vet Scand 47:69–73. https://doi.org/10.1186/1751-0147-47-69
Andersson RR (1992) Comparison of trace elements in milk of four species. J Dairy Sci 75:3050–3055. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(92)78068-0
Arianejad M, Alizadeh M, Bahrami A, Arefhoseini SR (2015) Levels of some heavy metals in raw cow’s milk from selected milk production sites in Iran: is there any health concern? Health Promot Perspect 5:176–182. https://doi.org/10.15171/hpp.2015.021 http://journals.tbzmed.ac.ir/HPP
Ayar A, Sert D, Akin N (2009) The trace metal levels in milk and dairy products consumed in middle Anatolia-Turkey. Environ Monit Assess 152:1–12. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-008-0291-9
Baranowska I, Barchanska H, Pacak E (2006) Procedures of trophic chain samples preparation for determination of triazines by HPLC and metals by ICP-AES methods. Environ Pollut 143:206–211. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2005.11.039
Benincasa C, Lewis J, Sindona G, Tagarelli A (2008) Multi element profiling to differentiate between cow and buffalo milk. Food Chem 110:257–262. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2008.01.049
Bilandzic N, Dokic M, Sedak M, Solomun B, Varenina I, Knezevic Z, Benic M (2011) Trace element levels in raw milk from northern and southern regions of Croatia. Food Chem 127:63–66. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2010.12.084
Bordajandi LR, Gómez G, Abad E, Rivera J, Fernández-Bastón MM, Blasco J, González MJ (2004) Survey of persistent organochlorine contaminants (PCBs, PCDD/Fs, and PAHs), heavy metals (Cu, Cd, Zn, Pb, and Hg), and arsenic in food samples from Huelva (Spain): levels and health implications. J Agric Food Chem 52:992–1001. https://doi.org/10.1021/jf030453y
Bustamante-Cano J, Hernández-Arroyave W, Gutiérrez-Chávez A J, Alonso-Alonso P, González-Montaña J R (2008) Secondary copper deficiency in cattle from molybdenum intoxication: clinic and pathological study. XVIth Internacional Congress of Mediterraneam Federation for Health and Production of Ruminants (FeMeSPRum). Zadar, Croatia
Cadar O, Miclean M, Cadar S, Tanaselia C, Senila L, Senila M (2015) Assessment of heavy metals in cows milk in Rodnei Mountains Area, Romania. Environ Eng Manag J 14:2523–2528 http://omicron.ch.tuiasi.ro/EEMJ/
Caggiano R, Sabia S, D'Emilio M, Macchiato M, Anastasio A, Ragosta M, Paino S (2005) Metal levels in fodder, milk, dairy products, and tissues sampled in ovine farms of Southern Italy. Environ Res 99:48–57. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2004.11.002
Cervera ML, López JC, Montoro R (1994) Arsenic content of Spanish cow’s milk determined by dry ashing hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry. J Dairy Res 61:83–89. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022029900028077
Chao HH, Guo CH, Huang CB, Chen PC, Li HC, Hsiung DY, Chou YK (2014) Arsenic, cadmium, lead, and aluminium concentrations in human milk at early stages of lactation. Pediatr Neonatol 55:127–134. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pedneo.2013.08.005
Codex Alimentarius Commission (2011a) Working document for information and use in discussions related to contaminants and toxins in the GSCTFF. Joint FAO-WHO, Food Standards Programme Codex Committee on Contaminants in Foods; 50th Session, The Hague, Netherlands, 90 pp. Available from ftp://ftp.fao.org/codex/meetings/CCCF/cccf5/cf05_INF.pdf. Accessed 4 July 2015
Codex Alimentarius Commission (2011b) Joint FAO/WHO food standards programme codex committee on contaminants in foods. 50th Session, The Hague, Netherlands, 21 – 25 March 2011. Discussion paper on arsenic in rice. Available from ftp://ftp.fao.org/codex/meetings/cccf/cccf5/cf05_10e.pdf
Dabeka RW, Lacroix GMA (1987) Total arsenic in foods after sequential wet digestion, dry ashing coprecipitation with ammonium pyrrolidine dothiocarbamate and graphite-furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. J Assoc Off Anal Chem 70:866–870
De Curtis M, Napolitano E, Ciccimarra F, Mellone MC, Del Rio A (1989) Aluminium content in human milk and in infant formulas. Eur J Clin Nutr 43:887–890
Dhanalakshmi B, Gawdaman G (2013) Determination of heavy metals in goat milk through ICP-OES. Asian J Dairy Food Res 32:186–190
Dwivedi SK, Swarup D, Dey S (2001) Lead poisoning in cattle and buffalo near primary lead-zinc smelter in India. Vet Hum Toxicol 1:74–75
Erdogan S, Celik S, Erdogan Z (2004) Comparison of selected toxic elements in cow serum and milk samples from industrial and rural regions. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 72:931–936. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-004-0333-0
European Union (2015) Commission Regulation (EU) 2015/1006 of 25 June 2015 amending Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 as regards maximum levels of inorganic arsenic in foodstuffs. Official Journal of the European Union 26.6.2015: L 161/14 - L 161/17. Available from http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32015R1005&from=EN. Accessed 4 July 2016
European-Union (2006) Commission Regulation (EC) 1881/2006 of 19 December 2006 setting maximum levels for certain contaminants in foodstuffs. Official Journal of the European Union, 20.12.2006, pp. L 364/5-L 364/24. Available from http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32006R1881&from=EN. Accessed 14 July 2011
Fernández-Lorenzo JR, Cocho JA, Rey-Goldar ML, Couce M, Fraga JM (1999) Aluminum contents of human milk, cow’s milk, and infant formulas. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 28:270–275
Gonzalez-Montaña JR, Senis E, Gutierrez A, Prieto F (2012) Cadmium and lead in bovine milk in the mining area of the Caudal River (Spain). Environ Monit Assess 184:4029–4034. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-011-2241-1
Gutiérrez AJ (2009) Concentration of heavy metals in raw cow’s milk in the province of León, Spain. Doctoral Thesis, University of León, Spain
Hermansen JE, Badsberg JH, Kristensen T, Gurdensen V (2005) Major and trace elements in organically or conventionally produced milk. J Dairy Res 72:362–368. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022029905000968
IARC (2006) IARC Monographs on the evaluation of carcinogenic risks to humans. Inorganic and organic lead compounds. International Agency for Research on Cancer, World Health Organization, Lyon, France 87, 529 pp. Available from https://monographs.iarc.fr/ENG/Monographs/vol87/mono87.pdf. Accessed 4 July 2016
IARC (2017) WHO/IARC (World Health Organization/International Agency for Research on Cancer). List of classifications, agents classified by the IARC monographs, Publication on line. http://monographs.iarc.fr/ENG/Classification/latest_classif.php. Accessed 7 July 2017
Jigam AA, Dauda BEN, Jimoh T, Yusuf HN, Umar ZT (2011) Determination of copper, zinc, lead and some biochemical parameters in fresh cow milk from different locations in Niger State, Nigeria. Afr J Food Sci 5:156–160
Jones FT (2007) A broad view of arsenic. Poult Sci 86:2–14. https://doi.org/10.1093/ps/86.1.2
Kapaj S, Peterson H, Liber K, Bhattacharya P (2006) Human health effects from chronic arsenic poisoning–a review. J Environ Sci Health A Tox Hazard Subst Environ Eng 41:2399–2428. https://doi.org/10.1080/10934520600873571
Knowles SO, Grace ND, Knight TW, McNabb LJ (2006) Reasons and means for manipulating the micronutrient composition of milk from grazing dairy cattle. Anim Feed Sci Technol 131:154–167. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2006.04.015
Koo WWK, Kaplan LA, Krug-Wispe SK (1988) Aluminium contamination of infant formulas. J Parenter Enter Nutr 12:170–173. https://doi.org/10.1177/0148607188012002170
Kul’kova J, Bremner L, BA MG, Reid M, Beattie JH (1993) Mercury-zinc interactions in marginal zinc deficiency. In: Anke M, Meissner D, Mills CF (eds) Proceedings of the 8th International Symposium on Trace Elements in Man and Animals. Gersdorf, Verslag Media Touristik, pp 635–637
Lane EA, Canty MJ, More SJ (2015) Cadmium exposure and consequence for the health and productivity of farmed ruminants. Res Vet Sci 101:132–139. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rvsc.2015.06.004
Leblanc JC, Guérin T, Noël L, Calamassi-Tran G, Volatier JL, Verger P (2005) Dietary exposure estimates of 18 elements from the 1st French total diet study. Food Addit Contam 22:624–641. https://doi.org/10.1080/02652030500135367
Li A, Du R, Zheng B, Meng J, Zhang J, Xiang A, Zhang X, Qi B, Wu Y, Zhou X, Zhang Y, Dong LX, Pang XL (2016) Determination of heavy metals in raw milk produced in Tangshan City, China. MATEC Web of Conferences, 39, 03006/1-03006-3. https://doi.org/10.1051/matecconf/20163903006
Licata P, Trombetta D, Cristani M, Giofre F, Martino D, Calo M, Naccari F (2004) Levels of “toxic” and “essential” metals in samples of bovine milk from various dairy farms in Calabria, Italy. Environ Int 30:1–6. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0160-4120(03)00139-9
López-Alonso M, Miranda M, Castillo C, Hernández J, García-Vaquero M, Benedito JL (2007) Toxic and essential metals in liver, kidney and muscle of pigs at slaughter in Galicia, north-west Spain. Food Addit Contam 24:943–954. https://doi.org/10.1080/02652030701216719
Mends EM (2016) Levels of heavy metals in cattle and human milk collected at Agbogbloshie, an e-waste dumpsite. Master of Public Health, School of Public Health College of Health Sciences. University of Ghana. Legon, Accra, 67 pp. http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
Muñoz O, Bastias JM, Araya M, Morales A, Orellana C, Rebolledo R, Velez D (2005) Estimation of the dietary intake of cadmium, lead, mercury, and arsenic by the population of Santiago (Chile) using a total diet study. Food Chem Toxicol 43:1647–1655
Norouzirad R, González-Montaña JR, Martínez-Pastor F, Hosseini H, Shahrouzian A, Khabazkhoob M, Malayeri FA, Moallem Bandani H, Paknejad M, Foroughi-nia B, Fooladi Moghaddame A (2018) Lead and cadmium levels in raw bovine milk and dietary risk assessment in areas near petroleum extraction industries. Sci Total Environ 635:308–314. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.04.138
Olson KC (2007) Management of mineral supplementation programs for cow-calf operations. Vet Clin North Am Food Anim Pract 23:69–90. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cvfa.2006.11.005
Patra RC, Swarup D, Kumar P, Nandi D, Naresh R, Ali SL (2008) Milk trace elements in lactating cows environmentally exposed to higher level of lead and cadmium around different industrial units. Sci Total Environ 404:36–43. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2008.06.010
Pavlovic I, Sikiric M, Havranek JL, Plavljanic N, Brajenovic N (2004) Lead and cadmium levels in raw cow’s milk from an industrialised Croatian region determined by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry. Czech J Anim Sci 49:164–168
Pérez-Carrera A, Fernández-Cirelli A (2005) Arsenic concentration in water and bovine milk in Cordoba, Argentina Preliminary results. J Dairy Res 72:122–124. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022029904000640
Perween R (2015) Factors involving in fluctuation of trace metals concentrations in bovine milk. Pak J Pharm Sci 28:1033–1038
Puls R (1994) Mineral levels in animal health, Diagnostic data, 2nd edn. Sherpa International, Clearbrook, British Columbia
Radostits OM, Gay CC, Hinchcliff KW, Constable PD (2007) Veterinary medicine: a textbook of the diseases of cattle, horses, sheep, pigs and goats, 10th edn. WB Saunders Ltd, Philadelphia
Rahimi E (2013) Lead and cadmium concentrations in goat, cow, sheep, and buffalo milks from different regions of Iran. Food Chem 136:389–391. https://doi.org/10.1023/a:1023638012736
Reeves PG, Chaney RL (2004) Marginal nutritional status of zinc, iron, and calcium increases cadmium retention in the duodenum and other organs of rats fed rice-based diets. Environ Res 96:311–322. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2004.02.013
Rey-Crespo F, Miranda M, López-Alonso M (2013) Essential trace and toxic element concentrations in organic and conventional milk in NW Spain. Food Chem Toxicol 55:513–518. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fct.2013.01.040
Rivero-Martino FA, Fernández-Sánchez ML, Sanz-Medel A (2001) The potential of double focusing-ICP-MS for studying elemental distribution patterns in whole milk, skimmed milk and milk whey of different miles. Anal Chim Acta 442:191–200. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0003-2670(01)01170-9
Robberecht H, Van Cauwenbergh R, Bosscher D, Cornelis R, Deelstra H (2002) Daily dietary total arsenic intake in Belgium using duplicate portion sampling and elemental content of various foodstuffs. Eur Food Res Technol 214:27–32. https://doi.org/10.1007/s002170100411
Rosas I, Belmont R, Armienta A, Baez A (1999) Arsenic concentrations in water, soil, milk and forage in Comarca Lagunera, Mexico. Water Air Soil Pollut 112:133–149. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005095900193
Salehipour M, Ghorbani H, Kheirabadi H, Afyuni M (2015) Health risks from heavy metals via consumption of cereals and vegetables in Isfahan Province, Iran. Hum Ecol Risk Assess 21:1920–1935. https://doi.org/10.1080/10807039.2014.1002292
Serdaru M, Avram N, Medrea N, Vladescu L (2001) Determination of trace elements content in biological materials - Measure of industrial pollution. Anal Lett 34:1437–1447. https://doi.org/10.1081/al-100104918
Simsek O, Gultekin R, Oksuz O, Kurultay S (2000) The effect of environmental pollution on the heavy metal content of raw milk. Nahrung-Food 44:360–363. https://doi.org/10.1002/1521-3803(20001001)44:5<360::AID-FOOD360>3.0.CO;2-G
Singh R, Gautam N, Mishra A, Gupta R (2011) Heavy metals and living systems: an overview. Indian J Pharm 43:246–253. https://doi.org/10.4103/0253-7613.81505
Sola-Larrañaga C, Navarro-Blasco I (2009) Chemometric analysis of minerals and trace elements in raw cow milk from the community of Navarra, Spain. Food Chem 112:189–196. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2008.05.062
Suttle NF (2010) Mineral nutrition of livestock, 4th edn. MPG Books Group, London
Tunegová M, Toman R, Tančin V (2016) Heavy metals – environmental contaminants and their occurrence in different types of milk. Slovak J Anim Sci 49:122–131
Ulman C, Gezer S, Anal Ö, Töre IR, Kirca Ü (1998) Arsenic in human and cow's milk: a reflection of environmental pollution. Water Air Soil Pollut 101:411–416. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1004990721068
Underwood EJ, Suttle NF (2002) Los minerales en la nutrición del ganado, 3rd edn. Acribia, Zaragoza
Unión Europea (2017) Metales pesados. Contenidos máximos en metales pesados en productos alimenticios. Revisión marzo 2017. Available from http://plaguicidas.comercio.es/MetalPesa.pdf Accessed 4 July 2016
Vidovic M, Sadibasic A, Cupic S, Lausevic M (2005) Cd and Zn in atmospheric deposit, soil, wheat, and milk. Environ Res 97:26–31. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2004.05.008
Viñas P, Campillo N, López-García I, Hernández-Córdoba M (1997) Electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometric determination of molybdenum, aluminium, chromium and manganese in milk. Anal Chim Acta 356:267–276. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0003-2670(97)00553-9
Weintraub R, Ham G, Meerkin M, Rosenberg AR (1986) High aluminium content of infant milk formulas. Arch Dis Child 61:914–916. https://doi.org/10.1136/adc.61.9.914
Zhang I, Wong MH (2007) Environmental mercury contamination in China: Sources and impacts. Environ Int 33:108–121. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2006.06.022
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank Ana Sánchez for her help in translating this manuscript.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
González-Montaña and Senis designed the study; Senís carried out the samplings and analyses; González-Montaña, Senis, Casas and Alonso carried out the data analysis; Gonzalez Montaña wrote the draft; Senís, Casas and Alonso y Domínguez contributed to the preparation of the manuscript and revised it critically. All authors have read and approved the final version of the manuscript.
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of Interest
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
Additional information
Responsible editor: Philippe Garrigues
Publisher’s note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
González-Montaña, JR., Senís, E., Alonso, AJ. et al. Some toxic metals (Al, As, Mo, Hg) from cow’s milk raised in a possibly contaminated area by different sources. Environ Sci Pollut Res 26, 28909–28918 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-019-06036-7
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-019-06036-7