COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF MACRO, MICRO AND TOXIC ELEMENTS IN COW BONES AND HORNS
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
Bones and horns from slaughtered cattle are often discarded as wastes, yet they contain vital minerals such as calcium and phosphorus. This study evaluates macro (Ca, P, N), micro (K, Mg, Zn, Cu), and toxic elements (Pb, Cd, Cr) in cow bones and horns to assess their potential for agricultural and nutraceutical use. One gram of each sample (except phosphorus, which was 0.5g) was digested. The digestion solutions were analysed using flame atomic absorption spectroscopy (Flame-AAS), flame photometry, and UV-visible spectroscopy. From the elemental analysis, the result revealed that cow bones had significantly higher Ca (5950 mg/kg) and P (3010 mg/kg) than horns (p < 0.01). Zinc was over 12 times higher in horns when compared to bones (1992 mg/kg vs. 154 mg/kg). Toxic elements (Pb, Cr, Cd) were detected in both samples and their concentration were above WHO/FAO limit, making these biomaterials suitable for most applications except human consumption. These findings support the sustainable reuse of cow bones and horns as nutrient-rich supplements, though heavy metal monitoring is critical.
Downloads
Article Details
Section
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
How to Cite
References
[1] K. Khalil, R. Reswati, F. Ferawati, Y. F. Kurnia, and F. Agustin, “Studies on Physical Characteristics, Mineral Composition and Nutritive Value of Bone Meal and Bone Char Produced from Inedible Cow Bones,” 2017, Accessed: Aug. 02, 2025.
[2] B. V. Iriso, P. A. John, S. S. Bello, and C. E. Ajinwo, “Frequency of Abattoir Waste Generation and Management in Port Harcourt Metropolis,” Niger. J. Anim. Prod., pp. 1064–1067, 2018, doi: 10.51791/njap.vi.6199.
[3] K. Buddhachat et al., “Elemental Analysis of Bone, Teeth, Horn and Antler in Different Animal Species Using Non-Invasive Handheld X-Ray Fluorescence,” PLOS ONE, vol. 11, no. 5, p. e0155458, May 2016, doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0155458.
[4] Ż. Ciosek, K. Kot, D. Kosik-Bogacka, N. Łanocha-Arendarczyk, and I. Rotter, “The Effects of Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Fluoride, and Lead on Bone Tissue,” Biomolecules, vol. 11, no. 4, Art. no. 4, Apr. 2021, doi: 10.3390/biom11040506.
[5] M. Li, F. Deng, L. Qiao, X. Wen, and J. Han, “The Critical Role of Trace Elements in Bone Health,” Nutrients, vol. 16, no. 22, Art. no. 22, Jan. 2024, doi: 10.3390/nu16223867.
[6] P. Sannamani, J. Venkata Reddy K., and K. Rengarajan, “Role of Phytic Acid and Phytase in Poultry Nutrition.” Accessed: Aug. 02, 2025. [Online]. Available: https://thepoultrypunch.com/2019/05/role-of-phytic-acid-and-phytase-in-poultry-nutrition/
[7] I. E. Uwidia, O. K. Chisom, and O. E. Uwidia, “Comparative Characterization and Assay of Cow Horn Waste and Fish Feed as Biomaterials for Reinforcement in Aquaculture Feeds,” in TMS 2023 152nd Annual Meeting & Exhibition Supplemental Proceedings, Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland, 2023, pp. 686–694. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-22524-6_61.
[8] M. Balali-Mood, K. Naseri, Z. Tahergorabi, M. R. Khazdair, and M. Sadeghi, “Toxic Mechanisms of Five Heavy Metals: Mercury, Lead, Chromium, Cadmium, and Arsenic,” Front. Pharmacol., vol. 12, Apr. 2021, doi: 10.3389/fphar.2021.643972.
[9] R. A. Bisergaeva and Y. N. Sirieva, “Determination of calcium and magnesium by atomic absorption spectroscopy and flame photometry,” J. Phys. Conf. Ser., vol. 1691, no. 1, p. 012055, Nov. 2020, doi: 10.1088/1742-6596/1691/1/012055.
[10] A. H. Uddin, R. S. Khalid, M. Alaama, A. M. Abdualkader, A. Kasmuri, and S. A. Abbas, “Comparative study of three digestion methods for elemental analysis in traditional medicine products using atomic absorption spectrometry,” J. Anal. Sci. Technol., vol. 7, no. 1, p. 6, Jan. 2016, doi: 10.1186/s40543-016-0085-6.
[11] S. Pradhan and M. R. Pokhrel, “Spectrophotometric Determination of Phosphate in Sugarcane Juice, Fertilizer, Detergent and Water Samples by Molybdenum Blue Method,” Scilit. Accessed: Aug. 02, 2025. [Online]. Available: https://www.scilit.com/publications/ae7c7648810d1ce0d3fa411f6637e9d4
[12] Y. B. Cho, S. H. Jeong, H. Chun, and Y. S. Kim, “Selective colorimetric detection of dissolved ammonia in water via modified Berthelot’s reaction on porous paper,” Sens. Actuators B Chem., vol. 256, pp. 167–175, Mar. 2018, doi: 10.1016/j.snb.2017.10.069.
[13] D. Churchill, M. D. Sikiric, B. Čolović, and H. F. Milhofer, Contemporary Topics about Phosphorus in Biology and Materials. BoD – Books on Demand, 2020.
[14] M. Peacock, “Phosphate Metabolism in Health and Disease,” Calcif. Tissue Int., vol. 108, no. 1, pp. 3–15, Jan. 2021, doi: 10.1007/s00223-020-00686-3.
[15] S. Banasaz and V. Ferraro, “Keratin from Animal By-Products: Structure, Characterization, Extraction and Application—A Review,” Polymers, vol. 16, no. 14, Art. no. 14, Jan. 2024, doi: 10.3390/polym16141999.
[16] M. C. Ogwu, M. E. Patterson, and P. A. Senchak, “Phosphorus mining and bioavailability for plant acquisition: environmental sustainability perspectives,” Environ. Monit. Assess., vol. 197, no. 5, p. 572, Apr. 2025, doi: 10.1007/s10661-025-14012-7.
[17] A. R. Jupp, S. Beijer, G. C. Narain, W. Schipper, and J. Chris Slootweg, “Phosphorus recovery and recycling – closing the loop,” Chem. Soc. Rev., vol. 50, no. 1, pp. 87–101, 2021, doi: 10.1039/D0CS01150A.
[18] S. Žibutis, J. Pekarskas, and L. Česonienė, “Effect of horn shaving and horn core powder fertilizers on the dynamics of mineral nitrogen in the soil of organic farm,” Ekologija, vol. 58, no. 3, Jan. 2013, doi: 10.6001/ekologija.v58i3.2534.
[19] I. O. Ambali et al., “Suitability of cow horn as filler in an epoxy composite,” J. Appl. Sci. Environ. Manag., vol. 23, no. 3, Art. no. 3, Apr. 2019, doi: 10.4314/jasem.v23i3.17.
[20] P.-H. Lin, M. Sermersheim, H. Li, P. H. U. Lee, S. M. Steinberg, and J. Ma, “Zinc in Wound Healing Modulation,” Nutrients, vol. 10, no. 1, Art. no. 1, Jan. 2018, doi: 10.3390/nu10010016.
[21] M. Ameen et al., “Potassium in Plants: Possible Functions, Mechanisms and Proteomics Under Abiotic Environmental Stress,” in Metals and Metalloids in Plant Signaling, T. Aftab, Ed., Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland, 2024, pp. 73–110. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-59024-5_5.
[22] G. M. Hill and M. C. Shannon, “Copper and Zinc Nutritional Issues for Agricultural Animal Production,” Biol. Trace Elem. Res., vol. 188, no. 1,