Abstract
Heavy metal detection in foods, particularly meat, is important for both nutritional reasons and consumer safety. The present study investigated the content of lead, cadmium, copper, and zinc in chilled meat. The red meat included cows, sheep, and camels' muscle, liver, and kidneys. The white meat included the muscle and liver of chickens. Sixty-six samples were collected from meat markets in Tripoli, Libya. An atomic absorption spectrophotometer was used to determine heavy metal concentrations. Data were analyzed by the SAS program. The results showed that the concentrations of lead range from 0.0020 to 0.1033 mg/kg, and the concentrations of cadmium range from 0.0074 to 0.0947 mg/kg. Also, the results showed that copper concentrations were below the detection limit (BDL) in all types of meat except the liver of cows, sheep, and camels, where copper concentrations ranged from 42 to 100 mg/kg. For zinc, the concentration ranges from BDL to 34 mg/kg in muscles, BDL to 34 mg/kg in the livers, and 28 to 34 mg/kg in the kidneys. In general, the concentrations of all polluted and essential elements in the selected meat organs of the selected animals did not exceed the permissible maximum level set by health authorities.