Determination of 17 elements in free-range hen eggs with ICP-MS

Abstract

The egg is a widely consumed food material with the higher nutritional value obtained from poultry. It contains almost all the nutrients needed by metabolism, therefore, the biological value of an egg is high. The aim of this study is to determine the levels of eighteen elements in free-range hen eggs. Eggs (n=217) were collected from February 2017 to September 2017 in the spring, summer and autumn seasons from towns near the Syrian border. The ICP-MS method was used to determine the Na, Mg, K, Ca, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Se, Ti, As, Cd, Tl and Pb elements levels in the study. The most abundant elements were Na and K ranging between 248.12-7755 mg/kg and 80.25-4235 mg/kg, respectively. When the element levels of the free-range hen egg samples were examined, it was seen that there was a statistical difference between the seasons while the samples were contaminated with As on an average of 1131.25 μg/kg when the toxic element levels were examined. It was concluded that the element content of free-range hen eggs produced in this region was affected by seasonal changes.