The cross-sectional study of heavy metals and aflatoxins was conducted by studying duck egg, blood, liver, feed, and water samples from 11 free grazing farms. The duck feed, soil, and rice samples were lower than the standard limit for aflatoxins at 20 ng g-1. The highest levels of aflatoxin were detected in the liver, intestine, and egg yolk; these were 3.04, 1.73, and 4.56 ng g-1 respectively, while the average levels were 1.6 ± 0.73, 1.31 ± 0.23, and 1.87 ± 0.99 ng g-1, respectively. Interestingly, aflatoxin was not detected in any of the egg white albumin samples (90/90 samples), whereas aflatoxin contamination was predominantly found in the yolk. Additionally, the means and standard deviations of Pb and Cd found in the duck eggs were 118.61 ± 22.25 and 13.84 ± 9.06 ng g-1 respectively. The maximum levels of Pb and Cd in eggs were 134.34 and 29.72 ng g-1, respectively. Moreover, Pb contamination occurred in the duck liver tissue in 93.61% (88/94) of the samples, whereas Cd contamination was found in 100% (100/100). The maximum levels of Pb and Cd in the duck liver tissues were 606.16 and 22,946.20 ng g-1, which was higher than those in the eggs. Pb contamination in the water from rice paddy fields after grazing was significantly higher than that in water samples taken before grazing. This is the first report of Pb and Cd contamination in blood, egg, and liver samples of free grazing ducks in Thailand.
Keywords: Aflatoxins; Duck; Eggs; Free grazing; Heavy metal.