Overview
Gürmeriç and colleagues measured ten potentially toxic metals, including arsenic, cadmium and lead, by ICP-MS in 84 cheeses from seven regions of Türkiye, compared them by milk source, ripening stage and production type, and estimated dietary exposure and hazard quotients. The main text gives overall ranges and some group maxima on a wet-weight basis; full group statistics are in supplementary tables.
Key numbers
- Lead: below LOQ (2.19 µg/kg) in 91.7% of samples, maximum 1754 µg/kg wet weight (cow-milk cheese, Black Sea Region); four samples exceeded the 100 µg/kg limit (Results; Discussion).
- Cadmium: below LOQ (0.06 µg/kg) in 92.9% of samples, maximum 12.3 µg/kg (Results).
- Arsenic was not detected in any sample (Results).
Methods (brief)
Microwave digestion of 0.6 g wet cheese with nitric acid and hydrogen peroxide, ICP-MS. Recoveries 95.5 to 103% and RSD 2.22 to 4.57%; LOD and LOQ per analyte are in Supplementary Table S1, which is not available with the PDF.
Evidence Fitness
A well-stratified survey with good recoveries, but most cadmium and lead results are below LOQ and the main text gives only ranges and group maxima; per-group statistics and medians (figures) are not recorded. Collection dates are not stated. Mixed ripened and fresh cheeses are only a proxy for fromage-frais, cheese-pizza, cheese-crackers and macaroni-and-cheese, which are not linked.