# Analysis of Elemental Concentrations and Risk Assessment of Prepared Livestock and Poultry Meat Dishes Sold in Zhejiang Province

## TL;DR

This study analyzed metal contamination in meat dishes from Zhejiang Province, finding low overall health risks but higher risks for children and in deep-fried dishes.

## Contribution

The study introduces a speciation-based recalibration method to assess metal risks in meat dishes and identifies processing methods as a key factor in contamination.

## Key findings

- Deep-fried meat dishes showed higher metal accumulation compared to stir-fried or boiled ones.
- Children had higher non-carcinogenic risk (TTHQ) than adults, mainly due to arsenic and chromium exposure.
- All dishes met national safety standards, and carcinogenic risks were within acceptable limits after speciation-based recalibration.

## Abstract

This study assessed elemental exposure and health risks in 35 prepared livestock and poultry dishes from Zhejiang Province using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Aluminum (Al) showed the highest concentrations, while strontium (Sr) and barium (Ba) were moderate; other elements (molybdenum (Mo), chromium (Cr), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), thallium (Tl), cobalt (Co), arsenic (As)) were low; and nickel (Ni) was undetected. All dishes complied with GB 2762-2022 limits. Although seven dishes showed mild-to-moderate single-factor contamination, Nemerow indices confirmed safe levels (Pc < 0.7). Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA) indicated that processing methods drove contamination profiles, with deep-fried products accumulating higher metal levels than stir-fried or boiled ones. While non-carcinogenic risks were acceptable for adults, children showed higher susceptibility with Total Target Hazard Quotients (TTHQ) values nearly double those of adults, exceeding safety thresholds in certain dishes primarily due to As and Cr. Carcinogenic risks for hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) and inorganic arsenic (iAs) were acceptable (1 × 10−6 to 1 × 10−4) for 32 dishes. After speciation-based recalibration, the remaining three dishes also fell within safe limits. Overall, exposure risks are low, though specific deep-fried products warrant monitoring.