Assessment of selenium in poultry food, chicken, eggs and their potential human health risks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Abstract

This study investigated selenium (Se) levels in poultry feed, chicken (meat and bones), and eggs in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province (Pakistan) using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Selenium levels in all poultry feed, meat, bone, and egg samples were below the permissible limit of 500 µg kg−1 set by the European Food Safety Authority. Selenium level was highest in bones (362 µg kg−1), followed by eggs (150 µg kg−1), feed (96 µg kg−1), and meat (59 µg kg−1). Selenium level differed significantly (P < 0.05) in all quantified samples collected from the study area, except between eggs among the selected districts. In feed, Se levels (116 µg kg−1) were highest in Charsadda samples, while in meat (112 µg kg−1) and bone (413 µg kg−1) in Batkhela samples, and egg (170 µg kg−1) samples of Peshawar. Chicken liver, neck bone, and egg yolk stored the highest Se levels compared to other organs. Daily food intake and health risk indices indicated that chicken meat and eggs were free from Se toxicity. These findings elucidate that Se levels in poultry chicken and eggs in the study sites are safe and pose no human health risk.