The Nickel concentration in raw milk obtained from cows grazing serpentine pastures

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to determine the Nickel level found in the raw milk obtained from the cows grazing in the serpentine pastures with much higher nickel concentration than the normal pastures. The average value of Ni concentration in the examined flora samples comprised of 16 different plant species resulted to be 566 mg kg-1. A total of 12 samples of the raw milk were taken from a herd consisting of 60 cows, which had been grazing for six months in serpentine and non-serpentine pastures. Obtained results have revealed much higher concentration of nickel in the raw milk of cows fed on the serpentine pastures than those grazing in the non-serpentine pastures or those kept inside the barn during the winter. In conclusion, serpentine soil of Mushtisht is a potentially toxic contaminated source to surrounding environment due to the high content of total and exchangeable nickel.