An evaluation of the health risks, antibiotic residue levels and potentially toxic ingredients in Nigerian poultry products

Abstract

Meat and poultry are rich sources of protein, which is crucial for growth and development of other nutrients the body needs. Poultry meat production at mass level has already been achieved and now the emphasis is on increasing meat quality. The current study aimed to assess the Arsenic (As), Lead (Pb), Cadmium (Cd), and antibiotic residues (chloramphenicol, chlortetracycline, streptomycin, and neomycin) in broiler’s albumen, yolk, muscle, and gizzard. A total of 36 samples (12 of each parts of the broiler from each farm) were digested and Pb and Cd concentrations were ascertained with AAS, while concentration was determined by a UV-VIS. Liquid-liquid extraction was used to extract the antibiotics and the concentrations were determined with HPLC. Arsenic (0.0403-0.5970 mg/kg) and Pb (0.2500-0.6670mg/kg) concentrations were above the safe limit in all the samples, while Cd levels (0.0017-0.0672 mg/kg) were within the safe limit for both meat and egg samples. The health risk evaluation of the contaminants revealed that the
hazard quotient of Arsenic was above one for both adults and children, indicating that arsenic poses a potential health risk. Except chloramphenicol, all investigated antibiotics were within the residual limit by European Union. The antibiotic distribution between the
yolk and albumen showed that chloramphenicol, chlortetracycline, and neomycin were preferentially deposited more in the yolk than albumen. This study therefore indicated that the poultry products (egg and meat) in the studied region are possible means of human
exposure to As, Cd, Pb, and antibiotics (chloramphenicol, chlortetracycline, streptomycin, and neomycin). Their usage might be consequential to health hazards, especially, chloramphenicol.