Concentration of trace elements in raw milk from cows in the southeast of Córdoba province, Argentina
2016
Pérez-Carrera, Alejo L. | Arellano, Flavia E. | Fernández Cirelli, A. (Alicia)
In recent years, trace elements in cow milk have been considered good bioindicators of pollution in the agricultural environment. The aim of the study was to analyze the correlation between trace element content in livestock drinking water and cow milk from dairy farms located in the southeast of Córdoba province, Argentina. Groundwater is the main source of livestock drinking water. According to the results, trace elements were grouped in three categories: (a) those that were in high concentration in phreatic water and in low concentration in deep wells (As, V); (b) those which showed the opposite trend (Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn); and (c) those that were in very low concentrations in all water samples (Cd, Cr, Ni, Pb, and Se). In elements from group (a), a positive correlation between As content in water and in milk was observed. For elements included in group (b), it was observed a higher concentration in milk samples from farms that use deep wells, related with their higher concentrations in water. Cr, Ni, Pb, and Se milk contents are within the ranges reported in other areas. Soil and forage trace element content may contribute to their presence in milk. Since information about transference of trace elements from environmental matrices to milk is very scarce, at national and international levels, further studies are necessary, including speciation in milk and dairy products, to guarantee food safety.
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