Overview
Kılıç Altun and Paksoy measured 17 elements by ICP-MS in 25 cow milk samples bought from local markets in Kahramanmaras province. Arsenic, cadmium, lead and thallium were below the limit of detection in every sample. Results are printed per litre of milk.
Key numbers
- Arsenic, cadmium, lead and thallium: below LOD in all 25 samples; LODs 0.2, 0.7, 0.5 and 1.5 µg/L (Tables 2 and 3).
- Nickel mean 279.1 ± 144.8 µg/L, range 81.5 to 618.5 µg/L (Table 3).
- Chromium detected in 11 of 25 samples, mean 182.7 ± 85.2 µg/L (Table 3).
Methods (brief)
Five millilitres of milk were microwave-digested with nitric acid and hydrogen peroxide and read by ICP-MS in triplicate. Spike recoveries were 100.9 to 106.2%; no certified reference material is reported.
Evidence Fitness
Small sample (n = 25) with per-litre results only. The milk type (raw or pasteurized) and fat level are not stated, so it is a proxy for half-and-half, skim milk and semi-skimmed milk, none of which were measured. Selenium, chromium and titanium means are far above typical milk values, which raises questions about the trace-element calibration. Quantification limits for the toxic elements (7 to 10 µg/L) are well above their detection limits.