The Measurement of Cadmium, Zinc and Silver in Chicken Meat in Isfahan Province, Iran

Background: One of the concerns of consumers of animal protein sources is the residues of heavy metals in meat. The accumulation of these elements in meat and the consumption by humans can cause acute and chronic disorders in the function of vital organs. Methods: For the estimation of cadmium, zinc and silver in the poultry meat products, 100 samples of chicken breasts, thighs, hearts and livers were collected from meat markets in Isfahan province. The tissues were digested and passed through filter paper, and the cadmium, zinc and silver contents were measured by an atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Results: The mean contents of cadmium in the chicken thigh, breast, liver and heart samples were 0.055 ± 0.21, 0.048 ± 0.023, 0.074 ± 0.031, and 0.012 ± 0.004 mg/kg, respectively. The mean contents of zinc in the chicken thigh, breast, liver and heart samples were 17.19 ± 8.10, 15.70 ± 5.75, 22.10 ± 10.87, and 19.70 ± 10.38 mg/kg, respectively. The concentrations of cadmium and zinc were below the international permissible limits in all samples. The mean concentrations of silver in some chicken thigh, breast, liver and heart samples were 0.0080 ± 0.0044, 0.0048 ± 0.0013, 0.012 ± 0.009 and 0.0036 ± 0.006, respectively. Of note, silver was not detected in most chicken samples. Conclusions: This study did not find cadmium, zinc and silver in the chicken meat samples above the international permissible limits. However, frequent monitoring for heavy metals in poultry meat sold in public markets is warranted to prevent their transmission to the human food chain.