Determination and health risk assessment of heavy metals in chicken meat and edible giblets in Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Background

Heavy metals are considered significant threats to public health, and they can accumulate in different parts of chickens, which are popular and affordable protein sources for the Iranian people.

Objective

The present study aimed to determine the concentration of seven heavy metals, encompassing arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), lead (Pb), nickel (Ni), and zinc (Zn), in 150 samples of chicken meat, liver, and gizzard in Tehran, Iran, using inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). Furthermore, the carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health risks associated with consuming these metals in chicken tissue were assessed. Results: The mean concentrations of Pb, Cd, As, Ni, Cu, Fe, and Zn in the meat were 0.03, 0.008, 0.007, 0.008, 0.49, 6.15, 4.2 mg.kg⁻¹, in the liver, 0.03, 0.058, 0.011, 0.028, 4.81, 120.02, 17.95 mg.kg⁻¹, and in the gizzard, 0.019, 0.018, 0.0072, 0.011, 1.22, 24.25, 14.36 mg.kg⁻¹, respectively. The highest metal contents were found in the liver. The lowest amounts of Cd, Cu, Fe, Ni, and Zn were found in the meat, and the minimum contents of Pb were detected in the gizzard. Target hazard quotient (THQ) and hazard index (HI) values in 100 % of cases were less than one and at an acceptable level. In 54 % of cases, cancer risk (CR) values were higher than 10⁻⁴ and unacceptable.

Conclusions

Chicken consumption by adults and children may pose a significant health risk, and heavy metal monitoring in other protein sources is necessary for human safety.