ARSENIC LEVELS IN MILK AND MOZZARELLA CHEESE FROM LAZIO REGION

Arsenic is a natural occurring element and its levels in foods generally reflect normal accumulation from the environment. In the past, the main use of arsenic was in the chemical industry and it was widely employed in pharmaceutical and agricultural chemicals, preservatives and related compounds. Arsenic is a persistent poison and it can easily enter the human food chain. Arsenic content in the manufacturing process water seems to be of special importance because it determines if the concentrations in the food may be considerably higher or lower compared to the raw materials. For this reason, it is desirable that all relevant informations is provided about the food to enable a realistic toxicological assessment on dietary exposure to arsenic. In this study, total arsenic concentration was assessed spectrophotometrically in process water, in milk and in cheese samples from Lazio. The data of arsenic analysis in mozzarella are presented and discussed. Total arsenic concentrations measured in certain samples of cheese are quite high and could be of potential hazard for human health, especially in case of high consumption of these products.