DETERMINATION OF HEAVY METALS IN RAW BOVINE MILK

Milk and dairy products have been recognized worldwide for their beneficial influence on human health. Levels of heavy metals in toxic concentrations are an important component of milk safety and quality. Cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) are toxic heavy metals capable of causing disease in humans and animals as endocrine disruptors. In previous studies, their presence has been detected in animal tissues, soil, plants and water in the municipality of Yondó, Antioquia, which inspired the present study. For this purpose, samples of freshly milked raw milk were taken from 4 farms and were processed by atomic absorption spectrophotometry with a graphite furnace. All the samples showed the presence of heavy metals in concentrations that exceeded the maximum permissible levels for lead; for cadmium, although there are no maximum permissible levels established for raw milk, the concentrations found were similar to those of lead.