Health risk assessment of heavy metals in imported frozen bovine meat and organs marketed in Sohag, Egypt

Abstract Heavy metals like lead, cadmium, and mercury can accumulate in meat and organ tissues, posing significant food safety and health risks. In the current study, 315 frozen imported bovine samples (105 each of muscle, liver, and kidney) collected from local markets in Sohag governorate, Egypt, were analyzed by atomic absorption spectrophotometry for the determination of mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), and cadmium (Cd) concentrations. The metals determined were investigated for their potential public health hazards in humans. The mean ± SE concentrations of Hg, Pb, and Cd in beef were 0.312 ± 0.058, 0.684 ± 0.105, and 0.030 ± 0.005, respectively, while the corresponding values in liver samples were 0.273 ± 0.054, 0.763 ± 0.106, and 0.056 ± 0.007, respectively, and in kidney samples were 0.167 ± 0.04, 0.716 ± 0.119, and 0.073 ± 0.014, respectively. Beef samples contained the highest Hg level, while liver samples contained the highest level of Pb, and kidney samples contained the highest level of Cd. More than half of the samples tested exceeded the permissible limits set by International and local food agencies for Hg and Pb; exactly, 62.9, 60, and 54.3% of muscle, liver, and kidney samples, respectively, exceeded the maximum limits of Pb, while 54.3 and 57.1% of muscle and liver samples exceeded the limit of Hg. In contrast, none of the tested liver or kidney samples exceeded the limit of Cd, although only 22.9% of the beef samples exceeded their maximal limit. Although the human health risks estimated in the current study for consuming the contaminated samples were low, high proportions of samples exceeded the permissible limit, and therefore, continuous monitoring of heavy metal residues in food, especially of animal origin, is of great significance.