Table 3 Summary of literature findings of arsenic, lead, chromium, nickel, and cadmium levels (µg L^-1) in breast milk.

Present study

0.72

11.5

0.31

1.96

19.25

41.07

Iran

Al-Saleh 2021¹⁹

1.66 ± 0.61

48.1 ± 24.0

2.20 ± 0.46

–

–

–

Saudi Arabia

Ekeanyanwu et al. 2020²⁸

29 ± 13

38 ± 13

–*

–*

–

19 ± 11

Nigeria

Khan et al. 2018²⁷

52 (2–301)**

95 (9–440)**

0.61 (0.2–3.98)**

0.50 (0.09–1.24)**

–

–

Pakistan

Tahboub et al. 2021³¹

6.31 ± 7.0

77.4 ± 68.2

–

31.4 ± 24.0

302 ± 453

132 ± 92

Jordan

Kunter et al. 2017²⁹

0.45 ± 0.23

1.19 ± 1.53

0 ± 0.23

0.73 ± 0.58

–

–

Cyprus

Winiarska-Mieczan 201 ¹²

2.11 ± 2.11

6.33 ± 4.61

–

–

–

–

Poland

Gurbay et al. 2012³⁰

–*

391.4 ± 269.0

–

–*

43.9 ± 33.8

–

Turkey

Nazlican et al. 2022⁶⁴

0.37

12.12

2.60

1.64

–

8.25

Turkey

Almeida et al. 2008⁶⁵

–

0.94 ± 1.05

–

5.8 ± 1.1

5.8 ± 1.8

–

Portugal

Park et al. 2018²⁵

0.72

13.3 ± 26.0

1.19 ± 1.24

Korea