LEVELS OF ARSENIC, BORON, NICKEL, SILICIUM, CADMIUM, LEAD AND ALUMINIUM IN CATTLE (LIVER) AND CHICKEN (LIVER AND HEART) OFFALS RETAILED IN TURKEY

Abstract

The presented study was conducted in an attempt to assess the levels of essential heavy metals (nickel), non-essential heavy metals (arsenic, cadmium, lead and aluminium) and trace elements (boron and silicium) in calf (liver) and chicken (liver and heart) offal collected from butchers and miscellaneous sales points in Istanbul, Turkey. Heavy metals and trace elements were determined by means of standard method of Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES). A total of 42 samples consisting of 19 calf livers, 12 chicken livers and 11 chicken hearts were analyzed. Mean element levels (mu g/g wet weight) in calf livers, chicken livers and chicken hearts, respectively were as follows: Arsenic (As): 0.315 +/- 0.228, 0.217 +/- 0.159, 0.287 +/- 0.152; Boron (B): 109.274 +/- 51.688, 84.610 +/- 29.616, 85.389 +/- 24.623; Nickel (Ni): 1.415 +/- 0.735, 1.095 +/- 0.471, 1.126 +/- 0.392; Silicium (Si): 9.057 +/- 6.148, 4.900 +/- 2.135, 5.228 +/- 2.546; Cadmium (Cd): 0.053 +/- 0.039, 0.018 +/- 0.007, 0.013 +/- 0.004; Lead (Pb): 0.113 +/- 0.083, 0.038 +/- 0.027, 0.061 +/- 0.045; Aluminium (Al): 8.11 +/- 6.176, 4.090 +/- 1.470, 4.907 +/- 1.606. Calf livers were found to have the highest values in terms of mean element concentrations. Minimum and maximum levels (mu g/g wet weight) of the elements assessed in all sample groups were as follows: Arsenic: 0.000-0.720; Boron: 22.532-230.887; Nickel: 0.068-2.896; Silicium: 0.000-25.119; Cadmium: 0.006-0.156; Lead: 0.000-0.296; Aluminium: 1.262-28.136. According to the findings, it was concluded that lead and cadmium levels in calf and chicken edible offal did not exceed the maximum permissible limits established in Turkish Food Codex.