Determination of the level of heavy metals and assessment of their safety in cow's milk collected from Butajira and Meskan districts, south central Ethiopia

Milk is a complete food useful to promote growth and development of the infant mammals as it contains vital nutrients (proteins, essential fats, vitamins, and minerals) in a balanced proportion. It is also a nutritious food for adults too. Milk can also contain hazardous chemicals and contaminants including heavy metals which can be a risk for health. This study was aimed at determining the level of heavy metals in cow's milk collected from Butajira and Meskan districts, south Ethiopia. Cows' milk was collected from 193 healthy lactating cows. Samples were digested by optimized microwave digestion method using HNO