Trace heavy metal levels in microwave digested honey samples from Middle Anatolia, Turkey

Abstract

The concentrations of trace heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Fe, Cu, Mn and Zn) in 15 different honey samples collected from 15 different farms in Middle Anatolia, Turkey, were determined by flame and graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry after microwave digestion. The accuracy of the method was corrected by standard reference material (NIST-SRM 1515 Apple leaves). The contents of trace metals in honey samples were found to be in the range of 1.0∼5.2 μg/g, 0.25∼1.10 μg/g, 0.18∼1.21 μg/g, 1.1∼24.2 μg/g, 17.6∼32.1 μg/kg and 10.9∼21.2 μg/kg for Fe, Cu, Mn, Zn, Pb and Cd, respectively. Results obtained are in agreement with data reported in the literature.

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