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Updated: Apr 30, 2026

Author Spotlight: Technologies and Challenges in Elemental Analysis of Food Samples
Published on: December 22, 2023
Determination of trace elements in goat and ovine milk from Calabria (Italy) by ICP-AES
P Licata1, G Di Bella, A G Potortì
1a Dipartimento di Sanità Pubblica Veterinaria, Facoltà di Medicina Veterinaria , Università di Messina , Messina , Italy.
Abstract:
There are many sources of contamination to which milk could be exposed: grazing animals can ingest contaminants present in nature, such as lead in soil, or that have been deposited on grass, resulting from industrial emissions. Another possible route of contamination is represented by feed for animals, which may contain heavy and essential metals. The potential of high-resolution inductively coupled plasma spectrometry was evaluated to quantify reliably various toxic and essential elements (Fe, Zn, Pb, Cr, Ni, Cu, As, Se, Cd) in 47 samples of goat and ovine milk from various farms in Calabria (southern Italy). The results showed that concentrations of cadmium were below the limit of detection. Lead levels were below the maximum limits as set by the EC in almost all samples tested. The highest values were those of Zn followed by Fe, Cu and Se.
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