Descriptive Analysis of Heavy Metals Content of Beef From Eastern Uganda and Their Safety for Public Consumption

Abstract

In this study, we initiated an effort to generate information about beef safety in Uganda. Our entry point was to assess by atomic absorption spectrophotometry the levels of essential elements copper (Cu), cobalt (Co), iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn), and non-essential elements lead (Pb), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), and cadmium (Cd) in 40 beef samples collected from within and around Soroti (Uganda). The information was used to evaluate the safety of consuming such beef against the World Health Organization (WHO) limits. The latter was accomplished by (i) estimating the daily intake (EDI) of each metal in the study area, (ii) modeling the non-cancer health risk using the target hazard quotient (THQ) and (iii) modeling the cancer risk using the incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR). The study finds that the mean concentrations (±95% CI) and EDI were in the order of Fe > Zn > Cr > Ni > Pb > Co > Cu > Cd. Cancer risk was found to be due to Ni > Cr > Cd > Pb and significantly higher in children than adults. The latter particularly demonstrates the importance of Ni poisoning in the study area. Overall, while essential elements in our beef samples were below WHO limits (hence no health risks), non-essential elements had high health and cancer risks due to higher levels of Cr and Ni.

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“…We see the analytical values obtained in this current study are lower than the values of MPL as stated in (Table 1). The overall arsenic (As) level found in the beef samples of different market in DCC is also lower than the limit (<0.5) reported by previous researchers ( Bahri andRomdane, 1991, Monies, 1999), also stated in (Kasozi et al, 2018, Kasozi et al, 2021.…”

“…So periodic test or gradual analyses of toxic metal contents in beef or other meat or foodstuff are very necessary for ensuring meat quality, food security and consumer safety. Though many works have been done regarding the analyses of these metals in various feedstuffs (Ullah et al, 2017, Saiful, 2018, Rashid et al, 2018, Korish and Attia, 2020, Hosain et al, 2021, Kasozi et al, 2021, but the data are not suffice and sufficient in the country that can help to create national health policy or security plan to safeguard the people . So it goes without saying that the study warrant further analyses to explore more data relating heavy metal detection in beef or other meat and meat products.…”

Multivariate analysis of heavy metals content of beef from Soroti, Uganda

“…4a and Fig. 4b, respectively, show similarity in the pattern of groupings between children and adults and the fact that adult results had more variability (by a factor of 30/6, the exposure ratio determined by Kasozi et al 2021). Clearly, Ni and Cr group together, as do Pb and Cd.…”

“…In this second of a two-part study (Kasozi et al, 2021), we particularly address -by way of example -the incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) of consuming beef from Soroti District, Uganda with the aid of multivariate statistical tools. ILCR in our context represents the potential cancer risks of being exposed orally to heavy metals in beef.…”

Investigating vegetable contamination in indigent communities by heavy metals: a case of food safety in Bushenyi, Uganda

“…The mobilization of heavy metals into the environment by anthropogenic activities [1,2], part of which end up on dining tables [3][4][5], is increasingly having a negative impact on the health of indigents communities in the sub-Saharan Africa [6,7]. These communities usually have few alternatives to safe sources of food because of unregulated solid waste disposal [8][9][10], application of wastewater for irrigation [11], emission from industries, the widespread uses of fertilizes, Pb-containing paints and gasoline [12], and above all, poor land management [13].…”