Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Nickel Occurrence in a Livestock Food Chain (Northwestern Italy)

  • Published:
Water, Air, & Soil Pollution Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Nickel (Ni) is an essential element in plants and animals, but elevated levels can exert toxicity in living beings, as recently highlighted by the European Food Safety Authority opinion. However, literature regarding the presence of nickel in the environment is scarce. In 2016, the EU Commission Recommendation n°1110 recommended monitoring the presence of Ni in feed in order to set maximum levels or to adopt other risk management measures to ensure a high level of animal health protection and consequently of human health. A total of 200 samples of feedingstuffs, drinking water, and milk were collected from dairy cow farms in Piedmont, and analyzed for Ni concentration by Z-ETA-AAS. Results showed the presence of nickel in feedingstuffs in a range from 0.20 to 16 mg/kg, while Ni concentrations in water and milk were close to or below the limit of quantitation. There was no carry-over from feed to milk in this food chain. Nickel concentrations were not of concern for animal health despite being in the upper range of those observed in vegetables from Europe.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Babaahmadifooladi, M., Jacxsensa, L., Van de Wielec, T., & Du Laingb, G. (2020). Gap analysis of nickel bioaccessibility and bioavailability in different food matrices and its impact on the nickel exposure assessment. Food Research International, 129, 108866.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bakkali, K., Martos, N. R., Souhail, B., & Ballesteros, E. (2012). Determination of heavy metal content in vegetables and oils from Spain and Morocco by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Analytical Letters, 45, 907–919.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Brizio, P., Benedetto, A., Squadrone, S., Curcio, A., Pellegrino, M., Ferrero, M., & Abete, M. C. (2016). Heavy metals and essential elements in Italian cereals. Food Additives & Contaminants: Part B, 9, 4,261–4,267.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cabrera, C., Lloris, F., Giménez, R., Olalla, M., & López, M. C. (2003). Mineral content in legumes and nuts: Contribution to the Spanish dietary intake. Science of the Total Environment, 308, 1–14.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chen, C., Huang, D., & Liu, J. (2009). Functions and toxicity of nickel in plants: Recent advances and future prospects. Clean - Soil, Air, Water, 37(4–5), 304–313.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • EFSA Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain (CONTAM) (2015) Scientific opinion on the risks to public health related to the presence of nickel in food and drinking water. Efsa Journal.

  • EFSA Panel on contaminants in the food chain (CONTAM). (2019). Occurrence data of nickel in feed and animal exposure assessment. EFSA Journal, 17(6), 5754.

    Google Scholar 

  • Enb, A., Abou Donia, M. A., Abd-Rabou, N. S., Abou-Arab, A. A. K., & El-Senaity, M. H. (2009). Chemical composition of raw milk and heavy metals behavior during processing of milk products. Global Veterinaria, 3(3), 268–275.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fallah, A. A., Saei-Dehkordi, S. S., Nematollahi, A., & Jafari, T. (2011). Comparative study of heavy metal and trace element accumulation in edible tissues of farmed and wild rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) using ICP-OES technique. Microchemical Journal, 98, 275–279.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Guerra, F., Trevizam, A. R., Muraoka, T., Marcante, N. C., & Canniatti-Brazaca, S. G. (2012). Heavy metals in vegetables and potential risk for human health. Scientia Agricola, 69, 54–60.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • IARC Monograph on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans (2012). Nickel and nickel compounds. Volume 100C, Available at: http://monographs.iarc.fr/ENG/Monographs/vol100C/mono100C-10.pdf

  • Iyaka, Y. A. (2011). Nickel in soils: A review of its distribution and impacts. Scientific Research and Essays, 6(33), 6774–6777.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ismail, F., Anjum, M. R., Mamon, A. N., & Kazi, T. G. (2011). Trace metal contents of vegetables and fruits of Hyderabad retail market. Pakistan Journal of Nutrition, 10, 365–372.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Junli, H., Fuyong, W., Shengchun, W., Zhihong, C., Xiangui, L., & Ming, H. W. (2013). Bioaccessibility, dietary exposure and human risk assessment of heavy metals from market vegetables in Hong Kong revealed with an in vitro gastrointestinal model. Chemosphere, 91, 455–461.

  • Lukáčová, A., Massányi, P., Greń, A., & Golian, J. (2012). Concentration of selected elements in raw and ultra-heat treated cow milk. The Journal of Microbiology, Biotechnology and Food Sciences, 2(2), 795–802.

  • Ministry of the Environment, Finland 2007. Government Decree on the Assessment of Soil Contamination and Remediation Needs (214/2007, March 1, 2007).

  • Mikuška, R., Muchová, Z., & Fikselová, M. (2008). Problem of risk elements accumulation in cereal raw materials and foodstuffs. Journal of Central European Agriculture, 9, 599–607.

    Google Scholar 

  • Noël, L., Chekri, R., Millour, S., Vastel, C., Kadar, A., Sirot, V., Leblanc, J.-C., & Guérin, T. (2012). Li, Cr, Mn,Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Se and Mo levels in foodstuffs from the Second French TDS. Food Chemistry, 132, 1502–1513.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rahman, H., Sabreen, S., Alam, S., & Kawai, S. (2005). Effects of nickel on growth and composition of metal micronutrients in barley plants grown in nutrient solution. Journal of Plant Nutrition, 28(3), 393–404. https://doi.org/10.1081/PLN-200049149.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rey-Crespo, F., Miranda, M., & López-Alonso, M. (2013). Essential trace and toxic element concentrations in organic and conventional milk in NW Spain. Food and Chemical Toxicology, 55, 513–518.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Salt, D. E., Kato, N., Kramer, U., Smith, R. D., & Raskin, I. (2000). The role of root exudates in nickel hyperaccumulation and tolerance in accumulator and nonaccumulator species of Thlaspi. In N. Terry & G. Banuelos (Eds.), Phytoremediation of contaminated soil and water (pp. 189–200). London: CRS Press LLC.

    Google Scholar 

  • Toth, G., Hermann, T., Da Silva, M. R., & Montanarella, L. (2016). Heavy metals in agricultural soils of the European Union with implications for food safety. Environment International, 88, 299–309.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yebra MC, Cancela S and Cespón RM, 2008. Automatic determination of nickel in foods by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. Food Chemistry, 108, 774–778.

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors thank the editor and the anonymous reviewers that greatly improved the manuscript quality.

Funding

This research was funded by the Italian Health Ministry Research Grants (Project no. IZS PLV 01/16RC).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Chemistry Department, CReAA, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, e Valle d’Aosta, via Bologna 148, Turin, Liguria, Italy

    Stefania Squadrone, Ines Crescio, Paola Brizio, Caterina Stella, Giorgio Colombero, Marco Rizzi, Sabina Pederiva, Francesco Ingravalle & Maria Cesarina Abete

  2. ASL CN1, Local Veterinary Service, Via Torino, 137, 12038, Savigliano, CN, Italy

    Dario Dutto & Rosella Bocca

Authors
  1. Stefania Squadrone
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ines Crescio
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Paola Brizio
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Dario Dutto
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Rosella Bocca
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Caterina Stella
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Giorgio Colombero
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Marco Rizzi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Sabina Pederiva
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. Francesco Ingravalle
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  11. Maria Cesarina Abete
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Stefania Squadrone.

Additional information

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Electronic supplementary material

ESM 1

(DOCX 12 kb)

ESM 2

(DOCX 12 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Squadrone, S., Crescio, I., Brizio, P. et al. Nickel Occurrence in a Livestock Food Chain (Northwestern Italy). Water Air Soil Pollut 231, 265 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-020-04623-w

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-020-04623-w

Keywords

Search

Navigation