Assessment of heavy metals and associated human health risks from the consumption of chicken organs and muscles purchased from different farms around mining areas in South Africa

Heavy metals persist in agro–ecosystems, bioaccumulate along feed, water, and litter pathways, and exhibit organotropism in poultry. The current study determined the concentration of heavy metals and human health risk in chicken organs and muscles purchased from different farms located around mining areas in South Africa using Inductively Coupled Mass Spectrometry (ICP–MS). The concentrations of magnesium (Mg) ranged from 1.94 ± 1.23 – 10.29 ± 0.34 mg/kg, chromium (Cr) 0.02 ± 0.00 – 0.08 ± 0.04 mg/kg, manganese (Mn) 0.01 ± 0.00 – 0.11 ± 0.01 mg/kg, iron (Fe) 0.26 ± 0.15 –3.18 ± 0.81mg/kg, nickel (Ni) 0.01 ± 0.00 – 0.09 ± 0.08 mg/kg, copper (Cu) 0.01 ± 0.00 – 0.17 ± 0.03 mg/kg, zinc (Zn) 0.18 ± 0.06 – 2.01 ± 0.53 mg/kg, arsenic (As) Nd – 0.07 ± 0.05 mg/kg, and lead (Pb) Nd – 0.05 ± 0.02 mg/kg. Muscle frequently presented the lowest concentrations of the elements, whereas the liver and gizzard generally demonstrated higher concentrations of Fe, Cu, Zn, and the kidney showed higher Mg levels. All the elements analyzed and detected were within the WHO permissible limits for meat and offal. The determined Target Hazard Quotient and the Hazard Quotient values were less than one, indicating that eating the chicken organs poses no carcinogenic risk to the consumers at this stage. Despite the low level of trace metals recorded, the presence of trace metals suggests the need for regular monitoring due to their bioaccumulative potential and further research into the source of these trace metals.