Total mercury and methylmercury levels in eggs from laying hens in a mining area in Bajo Cauca, Antioquia, Colombia

González-Álvarez, Dubán; Jaramillo, Azucena Cabrera; Muñoz, Natalia Cadavid; Agudelo-Echavarría, Diana María; Soto-Ospina, Alejandro; Ruiz, Álvaro Arango

doi:10.1016/j.emcon.2023.100230

Cited by 1 publication

(1 citation statement)

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“…Samples of albumen and eggshells from the supermarket eggs and only eggshells from the rural eggs had detectable levels of mercury. These data are consistent with those reported by Gonzàlez-Àlvarez and co-workers [64], who suggest that the greater ability of albumen to bind mercury compared to the egg yolk is due to the presence of specific proteins, particularly ovoalbumin. In general, the highest levels were found in supermarket eggs.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Content of Toxic Elements (Arsenic, Cadmium, Mercury, Lead) in Eggs from an Ethically Managed Laying Hen Farm

Guerrini,

Roncada,

Al-Qudah

et al. 2024

Animals

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Domestic chicken farming has been promoted and spread in several Italian municipalities and worldwide as an aid to the self-consumption of domestically produced food. This study investigated the levels of four toxic elements (As, Cd, Hg, and Pb) in eggs from an ethical laying hen farm, comparing the element concentrations with those possibly present in supermarket eggs. A total of 201 eggs, 141 from the farm and produced by different hen genotypes, and 60 from the supermarket, were collected. The levels of the toxic elements were evaluated in the yolk, albumen, and eggshells of all eggs. The results show that the supermarket eggs’ yolk and albumen were more contaminated with lead, compared to the rural eggs. Contrarily, the mean content of arsenic was higher in the albumen and eggshells of the rural eggs, compared to the supermarket eggs. The cadmium content was below the LOQ (0.005 mg/kg) in all samples. The mercury content was below or around the LOQ in all rural eggs. Overall, the supermarket egg albumens were significantly more contaminated than the rural ones. No significant differences were found in quality parameters for both types of eggs. The toxic element values that were detected were in line with other studies in the literature. However, despite the concentrations found not representing a risk to the consumers’ health, the results of this study raise a potential food safety issue, and it would be desirable to set specific MRLs for eggs for consumers’ protection.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%