Determination of heavy metal and other element levels in white, lor, kashar and tulum cheeses offered for consumption in Afyonkarahisar

In this study; white, kashar, lor and tulum cheeses offered for consumption in Afyonkarahisar were evaluated regarding presence and level of copper, zinc, iron, tin, lead, cadmium, arsenic, sodium, magnesium, aluminum, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, chromium, manganese, cobalt, nickel, selenium, barium, mercury. 15 samples were taken for each cheese variety and a total of 60 samples were analyzed. Analysis of the samples was performed with the ICP-MS device. The highest values ​​obtained from cheese samples were as follows; 75734.7ppm for sodium (Na), 1942.4 ppm for magnesium (Mg), 5752.0 ppm for potassium (K), 8293.4 ppm for calcium (Ca), 15539.1 ppm for phosphorus (P), 71.3 ppb for arsenic (As), 32.7 ppb for cadmium (Cd), 297.5 ppb for lead (Pb), 12.6 ppm for aluminum (Al), 532.2 ppb for chromium (Cr), 905.1 ppb for manganese (Mn), 22.4 ppm for iron (Fe), 243.0 ppb for cobalt (Co), 524.1 ppb for nickel (Ni), 1121.6 ppb for copper (Cu), 62.7 ppm for zinc (Zn), 603.5 ppb for selenium (Se), 1052.2 ppb for tin (Sn), 3746.7 ppb for barium (Ba) and 1.3 ppb for mercury (Hg). Among the highest values ​​detected for each element in cheese samples, sodium (75734.7ppm) element was found to be the highest in quantity. Again, mercury (1.3 ppb) element was found to be the lowest in amount among the lowest values ​​detected for each element in cheese samples. Keywords: Afyonkarahisar, Cheese, Heavy Metal, ICP-MS