[Determination of the heavy metals levels in cows milk and some other dairy products, the factors affecting their concentrations]

The purpose of this research is to study pollution levels of heavy elements in each of cow's milk and some manufactured products, and knowledge of the factors affecting the concentrations, so conducted in the areas of Maliha and Doma near Damascus (capital of Syria where 79 cows milk samples were collected from several farms in villages and towns belonging to them, from four different environments which are: a clean environment ,industrial environment ,environment of wastewater and environment of traffic ways, also samples of the collected milk and some of its products were analyzed which are: yoghurt and labana (concentrated yoghurt), cheese and cream, also samples of cow's milk and alfalfa and drinking water cows were collected from four different farms ,lead, cadmium, nickel and chromium were analyzed by Atomic Absorption Spectrometry dry digestion then Analysis of Variance were done by SAS 9.2, using Duncans multiple range test. The results showed that the overall mean for concentration of lead, cadmium, nickel and chromium in studied regions were 0.309,0.0162 ,0.06 and 0.136 ppm respectively. The level of the mean of concentration of lead and cadmium exceeded Maximum Residue Levels (MRL), according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The results also showed the impact of the geographical factor in the concentrations of heavy metals where the mean of concentration of lead and nickel in cow's milk produced in the area Mleha was higher, whereas the mean of concentration of chromium in the cow's milk produced in Melha was lower than Doma, and there was no difference between cadmium means on concentration of in the two regions. The results also showed the impact of the environmental factor in the concentrations of heavy metals, the milk produced in the industrial environment and environment of traffic ways was more polluted than environment of wastewater, the study also demonstrated cow's milk cadmium pollution in industrial areas, followed by environment wastewater environment. The results showed pollution of milk from cows of both nickel and chromium in the industrial environment and wastewater environment, while there was no XI pollution of the milk cows cadmium, nickel and chromium in the environment traffic ways. The study showed that the presence of positive significant correlation between concentrations of heavy metals in cow's milk and concentrations in the green feed and drinking water cows. Where increasing concentrations in milk increased concentrations in the bush green and drinking water cows. Lead, cadmium, nickel and chromium in the collected milk and some of its products which are: yoghurt, labana (concentrated yoghurt), cream and cheese, were analyzed , the mean of concentration of lead in the milk and the products was 0.313, 0.326 , 0.721, 0.946 and 1.464 ppm respectively. The mean of concentration of cadmium in the milk and the products was 0.01, 0.0102, 0.032, 0.034 and 0.062 respectively. The mean of concentration of nickel in the milk and the products was 0.06, 0.062, 0.082, 0.102 and 0.242 respectively. The mean of concentration of chromium in the milk and the products was 0.127, 0.13, 0.324, 0.435 and 0.757 ppm respectively.