Etection of heavy metals in cattle, in the valleys of the Sinu and San Jorge rivers, department of Cordoba, Colombia

Objective. To evaluate the presence of heavy metals: lead (Pb), copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd), and mercury (Hg) in the liver and right pectoral muscle veal, from farms located in the Sinu and San Jorge area. Materials and methods. Adults, crossbred zebu, male cattle, approximated 2 to 7 years of age were sampled. SAMPLES were taken during a period of six months from animals slaughtered for human consumption. The metals were assessed by atomic absorption spectroscopy, using lights and tasted a hollow air-acetylene burner to determine Cu; cold vapor for the detection of Hg and polarography to detect Cd and Pb. Results. The ranges of Hg, Cu, Pb and Cd are below the benchmarks of the European Commission and the Norma Oficial Mexicana. Levels were not permissible for human consumption of Cu in 4% of the samples. Conclusions. The meat industry in the region has great potential to access international markets, since 96% of cattle had levels of metals below the permissible limits of Mexico and Europe. While Hg levels are in the permissible limits, risk assessment based on the hazard index suggested that the daily consumption of 100 grams of meat products with levels of 0.08 ppm, might increase the risk of poisoning for a person of 70 kg weight.