Journal of Dairy Research

Table of Contents - 2005 - Volume 72, Issue 03  


Major and trace elements in organically or conventionally produced milk

John E Hermansen a1c1, Jens H Badsberg a2, Troels Kristensen a1 and Vagn Gundersen a3
a1 Danish Institute of Agricultural Science, Department of Agroecology, PO Box 50, 8830 Tjele, Denmark
a2 Danish Institute of Agricultural Science, Department of Animal Breeding & Genetics, PO Box 50, 8830 Tjele, Denmark
a3 Risø National Laboratory, P.O. Box 49, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark

Article author query
hermansen je   [PubMed][Google Scholar] 
badsberg jh   [PubMed][Google Scholar] 
kristensen t   [PubMed][Google Scholar] 
gundersen v   [PubMed][Google Scholar] 

Abstract

A total of 480 samples of milk from 10 organically and 10 conventionally producing dairy farms in Denmark and covering 8 sampling periods over 1 year (triplicate samplings) were analysed for 45 trace elements and 6 major elements by high-resolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry. Sampling, sample preparation, and analysis of the samples were performed under carefully controlled contamination-free conditions. The dairy cattle breeds were Danish-Holstein or Jersey. Sources of variance were quantified, and differences between production systems and breeds were tested. The major source of variation for most elements was week of sampling. Concentrations of Al, Cu, Fe, Mo, Rb, Se, and Zn were within published ranges. Concentrations of As, Cd, Cr, Mn and Pb were lower, and concentrations of Co and Sr were higher than published ranges. Compared with Holsteins, Jerseys produced milk with higher concentrations of Ba, Ca, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Mo, P, Rh, and Zn and with a lower concentration of Bi. The organically produced milk, compared with conventionally produced milk, contained a significantly higher concentration of Mo (48 v. 37 ng/g) and a lower concentration of Ba (43 v. 62 ng/g), Eu (4 v. 7 ng/g), Mn (16 v. 20 ng/g) and Zn (4400 v. 5150 ng/g respectively). The investigation yielded typical concentrations for the following trace elements in milk, for which no or very few data are available: Ba, Bi, Ce, Cs, Eu, Ga, Gd, In, La, Nb, Nd, Pd, Pr, Rh, Sb, Sm, Tb, Te, Th, Ti, Tl, U, V, Y, and Zr.

(Received October 14 2004)
(Accepted December 23 2004)


Key Words: Trace elements; cow milk; organic production.

Correspondence:
c1 e-mail: John.hermansen@agrsci.dk