CONCENTRATIONS OF CHEMICAL ELEMENTS IN SHEEP MILK FROM THREE FARMS IN SLOVAKIA FROM AREAS WITH DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTAL BURDEN

Milk is considered as a basic food, highly nutritious, and recommended for everyday consumption during the whole human life. However, due to environmental pollution, milk is not just a source of essential minerals, but potentially can contain heavy metals and trace elements as well which can threaten human health. The study aimed to determine the occurrence of 22 elements: Ag, Al, As, Ba, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Ni, Pb, Sb, Se, Sr, Zn in raw sheep milk collected from areas with different environmental burden in Slovakia. Samples were collected from three farms, one from Orava region (potentially undisturbed area) and two from Spiš region (slightly and heavily disturbed area) during the period of lactation. Analysis of the elements was performed using an inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry with axial plasma configuration and with auto-sampler SPS-3. Statistical significant differences (P < 0.05) were found in concentrations of following elements: Al, As, Ba, Ca, K, Li, Sr, and Zn. Calcium, potassium, sodium, and magnesium were most represented in samples from all monitored farms. The highest element variation was found in sheep milk samples from the heavily disturbed area. This fact confirmed the quality of monitored areas according to environmental regionalization by The Ministry of the Slovak Republic and the Slovak Environmental Agency. Heavy metals found in the heavily disturbed area do not represent any concerns according to European legislation, except lead, for which the mean concentration represents 0.02 mg/kg. This value was set by EC Regulation no. 1881/2006 and Codex Alimentarius as the level of the permitted limit of concentration of Pb in milk.