Detection of Heavy Metals in Breast Milk and Drinking Water in Damietta Governorate, Egypt

The concentrations of (Manganese, Iron, Zinc, Copper, Lead, Cadmium and Nickel) were determined in 20 samples of breast milk and drinking tap water (10 samples each) collected from Damietta Governorate to comparatively survey these two sources for the accumulation of heavy metals. Heavy metal residues in milk and water were analyzed using the Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-OES). The mean concentrations of Cd, Pb and Zn in milk samples were 1.68±5.36, 2.92±4.40 and 2.31±5.36 µg/L, respectively. While Cu, Fe, Mn and Ni mean concentrations reached to 0.76±0.15, 2.65±4.16,0 .25±0.42 and 0.014±0.04 µg/L, respectively. The mean concentrations of Cd, Pb, Zn, Cu, Fe, Mn, and Ni in drinking tap water samples were 1.504±1.371, 1.675±2.426, 36.692±44.689, 0.843±1.889, 4.351±6.052, 0.196±0.138 and 0.032±0.051 µg/L, respectively. This study concluded that the concentrations of Manganese, Iron, Zinc, Copper, Lead and Nickel in drinking tap water and breast milk samples as well as the concentration of Cd in drinking tap water were within the safe limits of WHO regulations. By contrast, the concentration of Cd in breast milk samples was above safe limits and constitutes health hazard to infant.