Overview
Aghamirlou et al. measured seven metals in 25 multifloral honey samples from Ardabil province, Iran. The paper is direct honey occurrence evidence: samples were microwave-digested and analyzed by ICP-OES, with regional means and ranges reported in micrograms per kilogram. Lead was the main food-safety signal, with the East-region mean and the all-sample mean above the paper’s cited 300 ug/kg FAO/WHO reference level; cadmium was below the cited 200 ug/kg reference level.
Key numbers
All reported concentrations are in ug/kg honey.
| Region | N | As | Cd mean (min-max) | Cr mean (min-max) | Pb mean (min-max) | Ni mean (min-max) | Zn mean (min-max) | Cu mean (min-max) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North | 7 | <11.87 | 17.58 (1.36-82.74) | 820.74 (172.37-1220.3) | 324.75 (144.95-960.88) | 608.17 (65.04-1094.49) | 775.74 (122.86-2265.38) | 94.74 (27.65-150.12) |
| South | 6 | <11.87 | 12.84 (7.49-19.12) | 887.52 (850.39-932.38) | 205.4 (117.46-380.17) | 630.07 (585.07-677.77) | 2725.09 (433.84-5491.75) | 97.96 (71.43-143.71) |
| East | 6 | <11.87 | 53.64 (11.48-125.88) | 947.24 (895.71-1020.67) | 935.48 (431.64-1627.82) | 707.24 (622.68-805.66) | 1043.47 (240.45-2031.42) | 212.53 (96.75-631.79) |
| West | 6 | <11.87 | 28.08 (9.16-64.92) | 956.64 (711.58-1165.68) | 595.16 (134.28-871.24) | 593.92 (450.96-879.38) | 1499.92 (169.30-6638.55) | 591.49 (85.48-2872.74) |
| All samples | 25 | <11.87 | 27.62 (1.36-125.88) | 899.75 (172.37-1220.3) | 507.58 (117.46-1627.82) | 651.78 (65.04-1094.49) | 1481.64 (122.86-6638.55) | 243 (27.65-2872.74) |
The authors report no statistically significant regional differences for cadmium, zinc, nickel, or chromium, but report significant regional differences for lead. Recovery rates for spiked honey were 95% for arsenic, 100% for cadmium, 99% for copper, 97.2% for lead, 88.4% for zinc, 99% for chromium, and 96% for nickel.
Methods (brief)
The study collected 400 g honey samples from individual beekeepers in East, North, South, and West Ardabil. Samples were stored in glass bottles at 4-8 degrees C in the dark. The analytical method used 1 g honey, nitric-acid microwave digestion, and ICP-OES. The paper describes internal standards and calibration, and reports spiked-sample recoveries for the target elements.
Implications
Certification: This is routeable occurrence evidence for honey, with regional means, minima, maxima, and an all-sample summary for Pb, Cd, Cr, Ni, Zn, Cu, and total arsenic censored below 11.87 ug/kg.
Courses: The paper is a useful example of how honey can reflect geographic and industrial context, especially the East-region lead elevation.
App: Honey can carry measurable Pb and Cd occurrence values; arsenic was below the reported method threshold in this sample set.
Microbiome (if applicable): Not addressed.
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Verification notes
The PDF title, author list, DOI, year, journal, license, methods, and Table 3 values were read from the auto-fetched PDF. The paper reports arsenic as total arsenic by ICP-OES and shows all regional arsenic entries as less than 11.87 ug/kg; it does not provide inorganic arsenic speciation.
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