title: Evaluation of the concentration of nonessential and essential elements in chicken, pork, and beef samples produced in Brazil.
abstract: Food safety is a global concern. Meat represents the most important protein source for humans. Thus, contamination of meat products by nonessential elements is a ready source of human exposure. In addition, knowledge of the concentration of essential elements is also relevant with respect to human nutrition. The aim of the present study was to determine the concentration of 17 elements in pork, beef, and chicken produced in Brazil. Meat samples were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The estimated daily intake for nonessential elements including arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), and antimony (Sb) through meat consumption is below the toxicological reference values. However, high levels were detected for the nonessential element cesium (Cs), mainly in beef samples, an observation that deserves future studies to identify the source of contamination and potential adverse consequences.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Toxicológicas e Bromatológicas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Bruno Lemos
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Batista
authors.forename: Denise
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Grotto
authors.forename: Maria Fernanda Hornos
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Carneiro
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Barbosa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000965:Antimony / Q000032:analysis; D001151:Arsenic / Q000032:analysis; D001938:Brazil; D002104:Cadmium / Q000032:analysis; D002417:Cattle; D002586:Cesium / Q000032:analysis; D002645:Chickens; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis; D007854:Lead / Q000032:analysis; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D008460:Meat / Q000032:analysis*; D008628:Mercury / Q000032:analysis; D009753:Nutritive Value; D013552:Swine; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D014131:Trace Elements; D002104:Cadmium; D002586:Cesium; D007854:Lead; D000965:Antimony; D008628:Mercury; D001151:Arsenic