Assessment of arsenic, cadmium, and lead in biological and environmental matrices in dairy production systems in Isfahan, Iran

Document Type : Full paper (Original article)

Authors

1 Ph.D. Student in Feed Hygiene, Department of Animal Health Management, School of Veterinary Medicine, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran

2 Department of Animal Health Management, School of Veterinary Medicine, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran

3 Department of Earth Sciences, College of Sciences, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran

Abstract

Background: Contamination with heavy metals such as arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), and lead (Pb) in dairy production systems poses significant public health risks due to their bioaccumulative nature. Aims: This study investigated the levels of As, Cd, and Pb in multiple matrices within dairy farms in Isfahan Province, Iran, and assessed associated health risks, particularly among children. Methods: A total of 180 samples (water, milk, feed, feed supplements, manure, and tail hair) were collected from 30 industrial dairy farms. Samples were stratified by herd size, milk yield, and proximity to industrial zones. Metal concentrations were analyzed using atomic absorption spectroscopy. Hazard quotients (HQs) for Pb exposure through milk consumption were estimated. Results: Pb levels in raw milk exceeded national standards (0.02 mg/L) in over 50% of farms, particularly in small, and those located near industrial areas. Cd and As levels in milk were generally below detection limits, though As, Cd, and Pb exceeded regulatory limits in tail hair on a significant number of farms. Strong and significant correlations were observed between Pb levels in milk and those in supplements (rs=0.68), manure (rs=0.81), and tail hair (rs=0.59), suggesting systemic exposure. HQs for Pb intake via milk remained below 1 in both adults (0.027) and children (0.173), though children faced higher relative risks. Conclusion: Contamination in small farms near industrial zones underscores the need for more stringent feed quality regulations and more frequent biomonitoring using non-invasive markers like tail hair, which has proven effective as a biomarker for chronic metal exposure.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

Abedi, AS; Nasseri, E; Esfarjani, F; Mohammadi-Nasrabadi, F; Hashemi Moosavi, M and Hoseini, H (2020). A systematic review and meta-analysis of Pb and Cd concentrations in cow milk in Iran and human health risk assessment. Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res., 27: 10147-10159.
Alloway, BJ (2013). Heavy metals in soils: Trace metals and metalloids in soils and their bioavailability. (3rd Edn.), Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-4470-7.
AOAC International (2019). Official methods of analysis of AOAC International (21st ed.). AOAC International.
Barnes, DG; Dourson, M; Preuss, P; Bellin, J; Derosa, C; Engler, R and Zaragosa, L (1988). Reference dose (RfD): description and use in health risk assessments. Regul. Toxicol. Pharmacol., 8: 471-486.
Briffa, J; Sinagra, E and Blundell, R (2020). Heavy metal pollution in the environment and their toxicological effects on humans. Heliyon. 6: e04691. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. heliyon.2020.e04691.
Dashtizadeh, M; Kamani, H; Ashrafi, SD; Panahi, AH; Mahvi, AH; Balarak, D and Parsafar, F (2019). Human health risk assessment of trace elements in drinking tap water in Zahedan city, Iran. J. Environ. Health Sci. Eng., 17: 1163-1169.
Datta, BK; Bhar, MK; Patra, PH; Majumdar, D; Dey, RR; Sarkar, S and Chakraborty, AK (2012). Effect of environmental exposure of arsenic on cattle and poultry in Nadia district, West Bengal, India. Toxicol. Int., 19: 59-62.
Draghi, S; Fehri, NE; Ateş, F; Özsobacı, NP; Tarhan, D; Bilgiç, B and Di Cesare, F (2024). Use of hair as matrix for trace elements biomonitoring in cattle and roe deer sharing pastures in northern Italy. Animals. 14: Article 2209.
Esteban, M and Castaño, A (2009). Non-invasive matrices in human biomonitoring: a review. Environ. Int., 35: 438-449.
Haswell, SJ (1991). Atomic absorption spectrometry (Analytical spectroscopy library). Vol. 5, Netherlands. P: 529.
Kamkar, A; Noudoost, B; Bidhendi, GN; Bidhendi, ME and Nejad, AM (2010). Monitoring of heavy metals in raw milk of vet husbandries in industrial regions of Isfahan Province of Iran. Asian J. Chem., 22: 7927-7932.
Katz, SA (2019). On the use of hair analysis for assessing arsenic intoxication. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health. 16: 977. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16060977.
Kazemi Moghaddam, V; Latifi, P; Darrudi, R; GhalehAskari, S; Mohammadi, AA; Marufi, N and Javan, S (2022). Heavy metal contaminated soil, water, and vegetables in northeastern Iran: potential health risk factors. J. Environ. Health Sci. Eng., 20: 1-13.
Kazi, TG; Brahman, KD; Afridi, HI; Arain, MB; Talpur, FN and Akhtar, A (2016). The effects of as contaminated drinking water of livestock on its total levels in milk samples of different cattle: Risk assessment in children. Chemosphere. 165: 427-433. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere. 2016.09.015.
Kubier, A; Wilkin, RT and Pichler, T (2019). Cadmium in soils and groundwater: a review. Appl. Geochem., 108: 104388.
Lemma, DH; Mengistu, A; Kuma, T and Kuma, B (2018). Improving milk safety at farm-level in an intensive dairy production system: relevance to smallholder dairy producers. Food Qual. Saf., 2: 135-143.
Li, Z; Ma, Z; van der Kuijp, TJ; Yuan, Z and Huang, L (2014). A review of soil heavy metal pollution from mines in China: pollution and health risk assessment. Sci. Total Environ., 468: 843-853.
Li, Y; McCrory, DF; Powell, JM; Saam, H and Jackson-Smith, D (2005). A survey of selected heavy metal concentrations in Wisconsin dairy feeds. J. Dairy Sci., 88: 2911-2922.
Nassiri, K; Raeeszadeh, M and Ahmadi, E (2024). Assessment of elements (toxic and essential) concentrations and methicillin resistance in Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from raw milk in the Kurdistan province. Int. J. Dairy Technol., 77: 1119-1130.
Noaman, V; Rasti, M; Heidari, MR; Ranjbari, AR and Allameh, K (2021). Evaluation of a group of organochlorine and organophosphorus pesticides residue and Pb content of raw and pasteurized cow milk collected from Isfahan city, Iran. Vet. Biol. Res., 34: 212-221.
ParsiMehr, M; Hekmati, M and Shayesteh, K (2020). Investigation of heavy metals in drinking water: A systematic review in Iran. Health Res., 8: 216-224.
Perillo, L; Arfuso, F; Piccione, G; Dara, S; Tropia, E; Cascone, G and Monteverde, V (2021). Quantification of some heavy metals in hair of dairy cows housed in different areas from Sicily as a bioindicator of environmental exposure, A preliminary study. Animals. 11: 2268.
Peters, J; Combs, S; Hoskins, B; Jarman, J; Kovar, J; Watson, M and Wolf, N (2003). Recommended methods of manure analysis. (1st Edn.), Madison, WI, University of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension Publishing.
Qu, XY; Zheng, N; Zhou, XW; Li, SL; Wang, JQ and Zhang, WJ (2018). Analysis and risk assessment of seven toxic element residues in raw bovine milk in China. Biol. Trace Elem. Res., 183: 92-101.
 
Raeeszadeh, M; Khoei, AJ; Parhizkar, S; Rad, FT and Salimi, B (2022). Assessment of some heavy metals and their relationship with oxidative stress and immunological parameters in aquatic animal species. Biol. Trace Elem. Res., 201: 4547-4557.
Ravanipour, M; Hadi, M; Rastkari, N; HemmatiBorji, S and Nasseri, S (2021). Presence of heavy metals in drinking water resources of Iran: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res., 28: 26223-26251.
Roggeman, S; van den Brink, N; Van Praet, N; Blust, R and Bervoets, L (2013). Metal exposure and accumulation patterns in free-range cows (Bostaurus) in a contaminated natural area: Influence of spatial and social behavior. Environ. Pollut., 172: 186-199.
Sadeghian, Y; Raeeszadeh, M and KarimiDarehabi, H (2024). The impact of metal and heavy metal concentrations on vancomycin resistance in Staphylococcus aureus within milk produced by cattle farms and the health risk assessment in kurdistan province, Iran. Animals. 14: 148. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14010148.
Shahbazi, Y; Ahmadi, F and Fakhari, F (2016). Voltammetric determination of Pb, Cd, Zn, Cu and Se in milk and dairy products collected from Iran: An emphasis on permissible limits and risk assessment of exposure to heavy metals. Food Chem., 192: 1060-1067.
Sharifi, S; Sohrabvandi, S; Mofid, V; Javanmardi, F; Khanniri, E and Mortazavian, AM (2022). The assessment of Pb concentration in raw raw milk collected from some major dairy farms in Iran and evaluation of associated health risk. J. Environ. Health Sci. Eng., 20: 181-186.
Sobhanardakani, S; Hosseini, SV; Miandare, HK; Faizbakhsh, R; Harsij, M and Regenstein, JM (2016). Determination of Cd, Cu, Mn and Zn concentrations in Iranian Caspian Sea caviar of Acipenserpersicus using anodic stripping voltammetry. Iran. J. Sci. Technol. Trans. A: Sci., 41: 139-144.
Zhou, X; Zheng, N; Su, C; Wang, J and Soyeurt, H (2019). Relationships between Pb, As, Cr, and Cd in individual cows’ milk and milk composition and heavy metal contents in water, silage, and soil. Environ. Pollut., 255: Article 113322.

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics