Occurrence of potentially toxic metals in Turkish cheese with dietary intake and health risk assessment

The long-term health risks associated with the accumulation of potentially toxic metals in widely consumed animal products like cheese underscore the increasing relevance and urgency of dietary exposure and health risk assessments. In this study, the levels of Al, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, As, Cd, Hg and Pb in 51 different cheeses sold in Türkiye and collected in 2025 were analyzed using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry. The intake of potentially toxic metals from cheese consumption was assessed to determine their non-carcinogenic health risks. Mean levels for the metals were: 1752 ± 2914, 69 ± 58, 163 ± 102, 20 ± 13, 131 ± 117, 247 ± 105, 59 ± 214, 0.005 ± 0.01, 0.02 ± 0.05, and 0.05 ± 0.09 µg/kg, respectively. No significant differences were found between cheese types, except for Mn, Co, and Cu. The daily exposure levels of the general population over 15 years old to Al, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, As, Cd, Hg, and Pb from cheese consumption were 71 ± 114, 2.71 ± 2.25, 6.65 ± 4, 0.79 ± 0.52, 5.24 ± 4.57, 9.78 ± 4.10, 0.03 ± 0.12, < 0.00 ± 0.00, 0.001 ± 0.002, and 0.002 ± 0.003 µg/day, respectively. Mean contamination factors indicated 'very high' contamination levels for most metals (excluding Mn and Cd) in all cheese samples. The calculated Target Hazard Quotient (THQ) and Hazard Index (HI) values for individuals over 15 years of age (male and female), however, showed that nearly all cheese samples (except one sample) pose no significant non-carcinogenic health risk.