Determination of potentially toxic heavy metals in milk powder marketed in Kurdistan of Iraq

Milk products have become a popular human nutrient in recent years because of their vitamins and minerals that are essential for the development and function of various organs and tissues. Additionally, excessive consumption of these vitamins and minerals may adversely affect our health. This study aimed to determine the concentration of five potentially toxic heavy metals, namely cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn) in 14 samples of powdered milk collected from the Iraqi Kurdistan Region markets. Furthermore, the experimental data were then used to determine the potential health risk for an adult age through the metal pollution index (MPI), estimated daily intake of metals (EDIM), human health risk index (HHRI) and hazard index (HI) In this study, the concentrations were determined using energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF). The findings demonstrate that the mean concentrations of Cd, Pb, Ni, Cu, and Zn in powdered milk samples were 0.079, 0.042, 0.077, 0.056 and 0.847 mg kg −1 , respectively. Human health was found to be very lowly affected by these metals based on the results of the estimated daily intake of metals (EDIM). Hazard index (HI) values in 36% were less than 1 and 64% were higher than 1. The consumption of powdered milk by adults may pose potential health risks, and other protein sources should be monitored for metals.