Heavy Metal Contamination in Raw and Pasteurized Cow’s Milk in Shahrekord, Iran

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Food Hygiene and Quality Control, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahrekord University, Shahrekord, Iran

2 Department of Food Hygiene and Quality Control, School of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran

10.30476/ijns.2026.108152.1549

Abstract

Background: Milk is a widely consumed food product, and contamination with heavy metals poses a significant public health concern due to their potential toxicity and bioaccumulation. This study assessed heavy metal contamination in raw and pasteurized cow’s milk in Shahrekord, Iran.
Methods: Seventy nine bovine milk samples, including raw and pasteurized milk collected across warm and cold seasons were enrolled. Elemental concentrations of mercury (Hg), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and arsenic (As) were quantified using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES).
Results: Hg was the predominant contaminant detected in 10.13% of samples with concentrations ranging from 8.47 to 31.70 µg/L. Warmseason pasteurized milk exhibited the highest contamination (35%) with a mean concentration of 25.19±7.96 µg/L. Only 1.3% of samples contained detectable levels of Cd. Among the 39 pasteurized samples, 2.6% of samples were contaminated with Cd, corresponding to one sample collected during the warm season (1 out of 20; 5%). No Pb or As was detected in any of samples.
Conclusion: Hg represented the main heavy-metal risk in milk samples of Shahrekord, Iran particularly in pasteurized products during warmer months. The sporadic occurrence of Cd highlighted the potential localized contamination, while the absence of Pb and As indicated low environmental burden. These findings underscore the need for milkspecific regulatory limits, seasonally adaptive monitoring programs, and strict control of feed and processing inputs to ensure consumer safety.

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