Background and purpose: With increase in human population the demand for meat products has raised. One of such products is poultry meat which could be contaminated by heavy metals in production process. The purpose of this study was to estimate the concentration levels of cadmium, lead, and zinc in chicken tissues consumed in Sanandaj, Iran, 2016.

Materials and methods: In this cross-sectional study, twenty samples of liver, thigh and pectoral muscle were collected from chickens. The samples were digested by acid method and concentrations of Cd, Pb and Zn were measured using atomic absorption spectrophotometer.

Results: The liver and pectoral muscle of chickens had the highest and lowest concentrations of Cd, Pb and Zn, respectively. Zn and Pb were found to have the most and least concentrations, respectively. Daily and weekly intake of heavy metals in edible tissues showed that the estimated amount of metals intake is lower than the maximum acceptable level permitted by the joint FAO/WHO expert committee.

Conclusion: The present study showed that chicken meat in Sanandaj is safe to consume and does not threaten the health of consumers.