Original scientific paper
Analysis of trace-elements and toxic heavy metals in honeys from Tlemcen Province, north-western
Dalila Bereksi-Reguig
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; Laboratory of Natural and Bioactive Substances (LASNABIO), Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Abou Bekr Belkaïd University, P.O. Box 119, Tlemcen 13000, Algeria
Hocine Allali
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; Laboratory of Natural and Bioactive Substances (LASNABIO), Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Abou Bekr Belkaïd University, P.O. Box 119, Tlemcen 13000, Algeria
Salim Bouchentouf
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; Laboratory of Natural and Bioactive Substances (LASNABIO), Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Abou Bekr Belkaïd University, P.O. Box 119, Tlemcen 13000, Algeria;Doctor Tahar Moulay University of Saida, Algeria, BP 138 cité EN-NASR, Saïda 20000, Algeria
Agnieszka Adamczuk
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; Institute of Agrophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Doświadczalna 4, 20-290 Lublin, Poland
Grażyna Kowalska
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; Department of Analysis and Evaluation of Food Quality, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, 8 Skromna Street, 20-704 Lublin, Poland
Radosław Kowalski
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; Department of Analysis and Evaluation of Food Quality, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, 8 Skromna Street, 20-704 Lublin, Poland
Abstract
Eighteen honeys collected from various botanical and geographical sources in Tlemcen Province (north-western Algeria) were studied to determine the presence of the following fifteen trace elements and heavy metals: K, Na, Ca, Mg, Mn, Cu, Fe, Zn, V, Cr, Co, As, Cd, Pb and W. Element determination was performed by inductively coupled plasma- mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), after digestion, by concentrated nitric acid using microwave mineralizer. The most abundant minerals were K, Ca, Mg and Na ranging within 153-989 mg/kg, 33.1-377 mg/kg, 69.1-162 mg/kg and 13.3-146 mg/kg, respectively. Fe was the most abundant heavy metal followed by Mn, Zn and Cu while Cr, Co, V, W, As, Cd and Pb were the lowest trace elements detected at level < 1 mg/kg in the honey samples surveyed. The variation in the mineral content in the honey samples studied is probably due to geochemical and geographical differences. Multivariate methods were used in order to classify honey samples according to their mineral content. The present study revealed that honeys collected from the various beekeepers apiaries of Tlemcen Province were not contaminated with toxic trace elements and therefore poses no threat to consumers.
Keywords
honey, trace element, heavy metal, microwave digestion, ICP-MS
Hrčak ID:
245975
URI
Publication date:
10.11.2020.
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