Lead and cadmium concentrations in goat, cow, sheep, and buffalo milks from different regions of Iran

In total, 137 goat, cow, sheep, and buffalo milk samples were collected in different regions of Iran and analysed to determine concentrations of lead and cadmium by a graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometric method. The mean recovery of the analytical method was 96.3% and 104% for cadmium and lead, respectively. The mean lead and cadmium contents obtained from 137 samples were 1.93 ± 1.48 (range: 0.18–6.11 ng/ml) and 9.51 ± 4.93 ng/ml (range: 1.84 ng/ml–30.50 ng/ml), respectively. Lead concentration in 8.1% of sheep and 1.9% of cow milk samples was higher than the newly established Codex standard. The mean concentrations of cadmium and lead in animals aged ⩽3 years (n = 80; 1.40 ± 1.05 ng/ml and 7.91 ± 3.60 ng/ml, respectively) were lower than in animals aged >3 years (n = 58; 2.69 ± 1.67 ng/ml and 11.8 ± 5.71 ng/ml, respectively).