Abstract
In this research, the contents of 25 elements in cheese, beef, mutton, and liver samples produced in the Nuba Mountains, South Kordofan. Sudan. were determined. Atomic absorption spectrometry was used for Al, Mg, Ca, Ti, V. Mn, Cu, Mo, and Hg determination, while instrumentation neutron activation analysis was used for As. Br, Ce, Co, Cr, Fe, K, La, Na, Ni, Rb, Sb, Sc. Se, Sr, and Zn determination. The mean contents and standard deviations (mu g/g) in all examined food samples were as follows: Na 15828.00 +/- 15428.92, Mg 624.50 +/- 336.08, Al 74.50 +/- 49.95, K 8791.17 +/- 3669.80, Ca 3670.17 +/- 3696.71, Sc 0.12 +/- 0.04, Cr 0.20 +/- 0.06, Mn 4.25 +/- 3.72, Fe 108.17 +/- 42.35, Co 0.18 +/- 0.20, Cu 36.00 +/- 37.27, Zn 63.83 +/- 47.10, As 0.13 +/- 0.06, Se 0.57 +/- 0.50, Br 36.17 +/- 23.11, Rb 12.07 +/- 16.05, Sr 2.05 +/- 1.05, Mo 0.92 +/- 1.25, Sb 0.17 +/- 0.12, La 0.23 +/- 0.33, Ce 0.15 +/- 0.05, and Hg 0.10 +/- 0.00. The contents of Ti, V, and Ni were not detected. The correlation coefficients between almost all examined element contents in cheese samples and soil samples were > 0.9000, which clearly indicates that the grazing cow's milk quality is influenced by the soil chemistry of their grazing areas. Mo content in liver samples was > 7 -fold higher than that in meat samples, while Mn, Co, and Cu contents in liver samples were about 6 -fold higher than that in meat samples. For health risk assessment, the total hazard quotients were > 10; indicating adverse non-carcinogenic effects during a lifetime from the daily consumption of cheese, liver, and meat samples. Furthermore, all examined food samples exhibited total carcinogenic risk factor of 10-4; suggesting unacceptable levels and hence possible developing cancer along a lifetime through exposure to Cr, As, and Hg.