M Zaheer Khan, Karim Gabol, Rehana Yasmeen, Saima Siddiqui, Farina Fatima, Nazia Mehmood, Shahnaz Parveen, Babar Hussain, Abeda Begum and Tanveer Jabeen
Keywords: Poultry chicken, heavy metals, cadmium, copper, nickel, lead.
Abstract: In the present study, the level of heavy metals pollution in poultry chicken Gallus domesticus at Karachi, Hyderabad and Thatta were investigated during 2007-2009. A total of 200 random poultry organs (liver, brain and heart) of the same aged groups (12 weeks old) of chickens were collected from poultry shops in 6 selected locations, and four metals Cd, Ni, Cu and Pb were analyzed. Based on the results all chicken samples were contaminated with Cadmium (Cd), Nickel (Ni), Copper (Cu) and Lead (Pb), whereas Copper had the highest contamination level of all four metals tested. Based on poultry feeds sample analysis, metals may have likely been transferred to Chicken via ingestion of these contaminated poultry feed. Observations made at Karachi poultry feed processing factories showed unhygienic and poor environment which needs improving and revised regulations of the feed processing centers.
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