Descriptive Analysis of Heavy Metals Content of Beef from Eastern Uganda and their Safety for Public Consumption.
In this study, we initiated an effort to generate information about beef safety in Uganda. Our entry point was to assess by atomic absorption spectrophotometry the levels of essential elements copper (Cu), cobalt (Co), iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn), and non-essential elements lead (Pb), chromium (Cr),...
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| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Published: |
Frontiers in Nutrition
2021
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12493/493 |
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| Summary: | In this study, we initiated an effort to generate information about beef safety in Uganda.
Our entry point was to assess by atomic absorption spectrophotometry the levels of
essential elements copper (Cu), cobalt (Co), iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn), and non-essential
elements lead (Pb), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), and cadmium (Cd) in 40 beef samples
collected from within and around Soroti (Uganda). The information was used to evaluate
the safety of consuming such beef against the World Health Organization (WHO) limits.
The latter was accomplished by (i) estimating the daily intake (EDI) of each metal in the
study area, (ii) modeling the non-cancer health risk using the target hazard quotient (THQ)
and (iii) modeling the cancer risk using the incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR). The
study finds that the mean concentrations (±95% CI) and EDI were in the order of Fe >
Zn > Cr > Ni > Pb > Co > Cu > Cd. Cancer risk was found to be due to Ni > Cr > Cd
> Pb and significantly higher in children than adults. The latter particularly demonstrates
the importance of Ni poisoning in the study area. Overall, while essential elements in our
beef samples were below WHO limits (hence no health risks), non-essential elements
had high health and cancer risks due to higher levels of Cr and Ni. |
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