A survey of selected essential and heavy metals in milk from different regions of Egypt using ICP-AES

The aim of this paper was to assess the content of selected essential metals (Fe, Zn, Cu and Cr) and some heavy metals (Pb and Cd) in raw cow's milk collected from different Egyptian areas during different periods of one year (January-February, May-June and September-October 2009). Twenty-one samples of raw milk were analysed using inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry for quantitative determination. The highest metal accumulation levels for Cd, Cr, Fe and Cu are found in milk samples collected from Shubra, while samples from Menofia and Tanash are high in Pb and Zn, respectively. On the other hand, the highest metal accumulation levels were during January-February for Cd, Cr and Zn. In the period of May-June, the content of Pb, Cu and Fe were the highest, while the samples during the September-October period are characterised by the lowest metal content.