APPLICATION OF NATURAL SORBENTS IN AN IMPROVED INSTALLATION FOR THE PURIFICATION OF MILK FROM TOXIC ELEMENTS

Milk is one of the most important and nutritious food products; however, its quality largely depends on environmental conditions. Environmental pollution leads to the accumulation of heavy metals in food products, posing a threat to public health. Among them, lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), arsenic (As), and other elements are considered the most hazardous. The aim of this study was to determine the content of lead, cadmium, and arsenic in raw cow’s milk samples and to evaluate the efficiency of adsorption purification using natural sorbents. Samples collected from three settlements were analyzed by the method of inversion voltammetry. It was found that the cadmium content in milk from the village of Sarzhal exceeded the maximum permissible concentration (0.067 mg/kg at a standard of 0.03 mg/kg), whereas lead and arsenic levels remained within permissible limits. For milk purification, an improved experimental installation with three sorption columns filled with shungite, zeolite, and coconut-based activated carbon was used. The highest efficiency was achieved with the 1+3 column combination (shungite + coconut activated carbon), which reduced lead concentration by 91%, cadmium by 75%, and arsenic by 84%. The obtained results confirm the feasibility of using natural sorbents for milk purification and demonstrate the potential of the developed installation for application in laboratory and small-scale production conditions.