Overview
The authors measured lead, cadmium and tin by graphite furnace AAS in 33 beekeeper honeys from three regions of Sistan and Baluchistan. Lead was found in every sample and was highest in the urban and dust-affected north; cadmium was found in about half the samples at very low levels.
Key numbers
- Lead 4.36 to 28.13 ppb, mean 11.6 ± 5.5 ppb; regional means 14.42 (North), 8.15 (Center), 11.97 ppb (South) (Results; Table 2).
- Cadmium detected in 16 of 33 samples, 0.02 to 0.34 ppb (Table 2).
- Tin 21.63 to 71.65 ppb, mean 33.2 ± 13.5 ppb (Results).
Methods (brief)
Dry ashing at 550 °C, HCl dissolution and GF-AAS (PerkinElmer AAnalyst 700). LODs 0.8 (lead), 0.2 (cadmium) and 2.5 ppb (tin); recoveries 94 to 106%; no CRM.
Evidence Fitness
Per-sample values are printed, which helps, but seven cadmium values sit below the stated LOD and all are below the LOQ, and the Table 2 footnote contradicts the lead value for sample 33; these are flagged. Honey is a proxy for pancake-syrup and does not link that page.