Determination of some heavy metal levels causing public health risks in honey produced in yatagan province by ICP-MS technique

Objective: This study was carried out to determine the presence of some heavy metals in honey obtained from regions close to the thermal power plant and marble quarries in Yatağan, the district of Muğla. Material and Methods: The amount of aluminum, iron, manganese, cobalt, nickel, zinc, cadmium, chromium, copper and lead were defined by ICP-MS in the collected honeys. The results were evaluated according to the World Health Organization (WHO) tolerance limits together with the relevant literature data. Results: The average value of the analyzed honey samples, aluminum (Al) 27715,468 µg/kg; iron (Fe) 5923,415 µg/kg; manganese (Mn) 639,872 µg/kg; nickel (Ni) 301.964 µg/kg; zinc (Zn) 1094,215 µg/kg; chromium (Cr) 47.165 µg/kg; copper (Cu) 1317,268 µg/kg and lead (Pb) 289,064 µg/kg was determined according to the analysis results. Cobalt and cadmium were not detected in these analyzed honeys. Conclusion: When the findings were evaluated it was observed that heavy metal's amounts were not in high value, but they were at limit values in terms of some elements. Counsequently, it was concluded that the beehives close to the industrial areas may adversely affect public health in terms of some heavy metals.