Determination of Heavy Metal Residue in Backyard Chicken at Various Region in Sulaymaniyah Province

Abstract

Due to the accompanying hazards of cytotoxicity and systemic diseases following intake of such metals, especially in areas with rising industrial and agricultural activity, exposure to heavy metals through chicken consumption is a crucial issue for human health. In Kurdistan Region-Iraq, poultry meat and their products (especially local chicken) are widely consumed from population. On the point of view the present study was conducted to access the concentration levels of Cadmium (Cd), Copper (Cu) and Lead (Pb) heavy metals from some selected regions of Sulaymaniyah province (Bazyan, Dukan, Mergapan and Tanjaro) were measured in different body parts (breast and liver) of backyard chicken using Thermo Fisher Scientific inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-OES). The results revealed that the residues of cadmium (Cd) in both samples (meat and liver) from all regions were within the permissible limit (0.3 mg/kg) by FAO/WHO, except Dukan region for liver sample, which recorded the value (0.355 mg/kg). The concentration of Copper (Cu) in meat and liver samples of all regions was exceeding than the permissible limit (0.3 mg/kg), levels proposed by FAO/WHO and the highest concentration was detected in of Dukan followed by Mergapan (11.541 and 11.372 mg/kg) respectively for liver sample. Lead (Pb) was found exceeding the permissible limit levels of 0.1 mg/kg in the liver samples of all the regions (0.147–0.729 mg/kg), except for Mergapan which recorded low value (0.091 mg/kg). Concerning Pb concentration in breast samples the value from Dukan and Tanjaro (0.118 and 0.149 mg/kg) was exceeding the permissible limit, while from Bazyan and Mergapan (0.082 and 0.022) the value was within permissible limit. As the most consumed section of the chicken has been determined to be among the tissues with the least contamination, liver, which is often less consumed by the local populace as compared to meat, was discovered to have relatively higher metal concentrations.